Sexism in Sports

Sexism in Sports

Why are sexes segregated when it comes to sports? This is one question I would ask myself in middle school and high school. Girls are usually prone to be stereotyped as being fragile or delicate people, but that does not mean they cannot be on the same team as boys. After all, no matter what, you will get hurt. I believe it is unjust to segregate middle school or high school males and females when it comes to sports. Gender equality should be encouraged in schools, the Anti-Discrimination Law should be changed, and media and culture should make more of an effort to make girls feel content about their self-image.
Every school that receives federal money is obliged to obey the anti-discrimination law, so why do public schools still segregate male and female sports? The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 states that “any activity of a competitive nature, where the physical strength, stamina or physique of the average woman puts her at a disadvantage to the average man..” The Football Association also believes that boys and girls should not play on the same team only because it is for the “girls own good.” The Football Association thinks it is best for girls and boys to place on separate teams because of the two different developmental stages both girls and boys have. The Football Association also suggests that by separating both girl and boy teams, it will enable women to develop their own teams and identify specific career paths. I believe that this law is out of date and that male and female roles in society have evolved over time. Both the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Football Association should make an effort to look into the roles of both these genders and come to a conclusion as to how they can end gender inequality around the world. Public Schools should be forced into making more of an effort into educating their students on gender equality. Gender equality will also be good for the self-esteem, girls will no longer feel as if they are weaker or less capable of being a good player. Young girls should not be growing up in an environment where it is wrong to play on a football team. When a girl is capable enough to compete with boys, there is no earthly reason why she should not. Growing up in a private Armenian school I was surrounded by a large amount of ignorant sexist males. When I was in ninth grade I remember hearing about a girl joining the all-boys soccer team, she was known to be an incredible player with a lot of experience. She was allowed to play on the all-boys soccer team, and this caused controversy in my school. Teachers and students did not want her to get hurt, and if anything were to happen, the school would end up having a “bad reputation.” But as soon as she joined the soccer team, she never gave up. That year, the soccer team won tons of trophy’s and lots of medals, this just clarifies that girls should always be given a chance. Playing sports in middle school and high school is also not played on a professional level, it is played as a hobby and only for fun, and therefore males and females should not have separate teams. By uniting teams, girls will feel less insecure and more confident with themselves.
We live in a society where girls are known to judge themselves based on their looks rather than their abilities. Media is one main factor that contributes to girls feeling overly insecure about themselves. The media has always put pressure on young girls to become the epitome of perfection, but what young girls do not understand is that, that is physically impossible. Images in the media are very misleading, photographs of models are always airbrushed, and singers always look thinner than they really are. This creates unrealistic goals for young girls who are probably already struggling with their self-image. Young girls are always exposed to women being sex symbols in the media, there are only a few cases where there are movies and shows about women expressing their individuality and their abilities. This can be seen in sports also, cheerleaders are usually over exposed with lots of makeup, and provocative clothing. With the media always exposing women as only provocative sex symbols, young girls will have a harder time dealing with their self-worth and self-image. Culture also has a tremendous effect on young girls and their self-worth. In many cultures, women are seen as the weaker sex and this affects young girls at a very early age. Specific cultures have a double standard; young boys are usually given more freedom than young girls. Young girls are also taught that cooking and cleaning should be instilled in them for the future. As a female grows into her teens, the boys in the family are used to the idea of having them cook and clean. This is one of many things culture adds on when it comes to gender inequality.