Historically sports activities have been a gendered area the place males would present their abilities and prowess. Within time, cis males of assorted gender identities had been allowed to participate albeit with stigma from each the sports activities authorities in addition to the viewers and spectators. Men had been at all times inspired to take part in aggressive organised sports activities whereas ladies remained mere spectators. 

Sports have been related to masculinity like bodily prowess, aggression, dominance, and competitiveness; all are categorised as male traits that solely males can obtain and solely males can look ahead to amusement and satisfaction. This masculinity of sports activities renders ladies and different genders as inferior chartering them as meek, fragile, weak and so on, not match to partake in one thing aggressive and aggressive. 

The spectatorship of sports activities can be primarily women and men typically watch the sports activities by the male gaze. Organised sports activities although have been reconstructed through the years with ladies exhibiting abilities and skills in predominantly ‘muscular,’ and ‘masculine,’ sports activities like cricket, wrestling,  soccer, and so on, nevertheless, with the patriarchal notions and social stigma related to ladies in sports activities, not a lot has modified. 

Women and different genders face varied challenges and biases even when they carve a spot in organised sports activities, they face, a scarcity of viewership, lack of sponsorships and encouragement, and worse, sexism and harassment as males are principally on the helm of organised sports activities. Recent women wrestlers’ protest in New Delhi, illustrates how, ladies in sports activities are maltreated, shunned, and harassed once they discuss office harassment, abuse and injustices.

Sexism, misogyny and abuse in sports activities are persistent points that are not often addressed and insurance policies governing not often amended. There are many causes for this,  one goes again to the gendering of sports activities and girls not being taken significantly and the opposite may very well be that girls maintain only a few authoritative positions in sports activities. Unfortunately with male politicians in nexus with the male authorities in organised sports activities in India and globally, ladies stay underrepresented, unheard and discouraged. 

Various gender minorities, together with trans communities, have again and again been underneath the radar of hetronormative units in sports activities with the query arising of whether or not trans ladies be positioned in the identical class as cis ladies. This debate has been happening and on for many years with conservatives protesting to not embody trans ladies within the cis ladies class. Last 12 months World Athletics banned trans ladies from collaborating within the ladies’s occasions in spots, which led to some trans ladies quitting the sports activities altogether. 

Casteism is a social difficulty and injustice, significantly working to sports activities in India. Many instances, ladies from Dalit, Adivasis and different caste minorities are discouraged and never given any probability in sports activities because the caste creeps into all of the establishments and programs within the nation. While addressing gender in sports activities, ethnicities, caste and sophistication, can’t be ignored as all of these intersect in sports. 

Gender bias, sexism, office harassment and casteism in sports activities supply ladies and different gender minorities who’re already marginalised and underrepresented,  much less to no alternatives. Masculine imagery related to sports activities is just harming the ladies and gender minorities to participate in sports activities regardless that when organised sports activities declare to have been constructed and reconstrued through the years. Issues like these should be addressed, and insurance policies and revaluation of values and ethics of sports activities should be taken under consideration. Often values and programs in sports activities stem from patriarchy and that should be questioned. 

To create discourse and convey to mild the inequalities, biases, and prejudices in sports activities, towards ladies and different gender minorities of assorted ethnicities, castes and so on, FII is inviting submissions on Gender And Sports all through January 2024. 

Here are a number of broad pointers which will assist you write your articles on the subject:

• Women in sports activities 
• Transgender communities and sports activities 
• Women, caste, and sports activities
• Workplace harassment in sports activities 
• Male gaze in sports activities 
• Gender-based violence in sports activities 
• Biases primarily based on race, faith, language and ethnicity
• Mental well being and sports activities 

This listing shouldn’t be exhaustive. Please write on different matters throughout the theme that we could have missed itemizing right here. Some of those matters are extraordinarily private, and in the event you want to keep anonymity in regards to the publication of such items, kindly point out them in your e mail.

Please consult with our submission guidelines earlier than you ship us your entries. You could e mail your submissions to shahinda@feminisminindia.com

We sit up for your drafts and hope you get pleasure from writing them

Featured Illustration: Ritika Banerjee for Feminism In India