The Policing of Women’s Bodies through Sexist Athletic Uniforms
Throughout history, society has made efforts to control women and their bodies in many aspects of their lives. Whether dealing with strict reproductive rights policy or the frequency of sexual harassment, women have few spaces to dictate their own bodily autonomy.
Unfortunately, the sports space is not a safe haven either. Sports associations and the cultures surrounding them enforce the institutionalized policing of female bodies, manifested through sexist uniforms. They are designed to present women in a way that appeals to the male gaze, the heterosexual cisgender male gaze to be more specific, and this takes place at all levels of sports.
Female athletes are required to wear hyper-feminine uniforms, which reinforces gender ideologies on how a woman should appear. Furthermore, these uniforms often consist of minimal clothing, especially in comparison to male counterparts, to highlight women’s bodies rather than their performance. It is noteworthy that these guidelines do not enhance an athlete’s performance and, in some cases, even inhibit it. These sexist uniforms send the underlying message that women’s femininity and sex appeal are not only a crucial part of being an athlete but that women’s worth in the athletic world is in their appearance.
Feminizing and Sexualizing Women
There is an underlying assumption, whether conscious or subconscious, that a woman’s purpose involves serving others. This is clear when you think about how women are seen as bodies to produce life, caretakers for babies, wives for husbands or people to deal with household affairs. Even in discourse trying to muster sympathy for a female victim, people use rhetoric like “she is someone’s sister, daughter or wife”, reinforcing the notion that a woman’s identity is tied to her relations with others rather than being a full person on her own.
It’s unfortunately not surprising that one of the ways this mindset expresses itself is through expectations surrounding a woman’s appearance, as if this too serves to please others. Society therefore hyper-focuses on and criticizes women’s looks, and the sports world is no exception.
As women entered the sports arena, people feared they would appear too masculine, which is considered unattractive to the male gaze. Therefore, in order to maintain a sexual appeal for spectators, hyper feminine and sexual uniforms were created.
Skirts, for example, are a symbol of femininity and are used to highlight this in women and distinguish them from their male counterparts. They are common in sports such as tennis, golf and lacrosse, and there has been a push, even in the 21st century, for women to continue wearing these while playing sports.
Take boxing for example. Before the 2012 Olympics in London, the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced they were discussing enforcing a skirt dress code for women. Wu Ching-kuo, the then-president of AIBA, explained “I have heard many times, people say, ‘We can’t tell the difference between the men and women,’ especially on TV, since they’re in the same uniforms and are wearing headgear.” The uniform announcement received pushback, which ultimately led to AIBA making skirts optional rather than mandatory; however, AIBA’s initial decision and Ching-kuo’s comment reveal the importance the association places on visually defining an athlete’s gender, as if this were somehow crucial.
Joseph Blatter, a former president of FIFA, made the connection between femininity and sexuality clear when he suggested in 2004 that women should wear “more feminine clothes” such as wearing “tighter shorts” to increase interest in female soccer.
The history and evolution of female tennis uniforms is yet another example of how women have been appreciated for their femininity and/or sexuality rather than their athletic competence since they first entered the sports arena.
Women are specifically dressed in a feminine and sexual way in order to attract viewers and interest in the sport, so their bodies are used as the selling point rather than their performance. This sexualization is dismissive of women’s athletic capability, whose skills are the sole reason why people should be gathering in the first place. It’s time we take women and their role in athletics seriously.
Unfounded Controversy
Athletic institutions have been critical of people who have pushed back against these sexist uniform expectations. A famous example of this is when Serena Williams wore a Nike Catsuit during the 2018 French Open, which was met with outrage. While she technically did not break dress code, the French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli declared in an interview with Tennis magazine that, “it will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place.” This statement implies that in order for a woman to “respect” the game and be allowed on the tennis court, she must appear a certain way, which includes wearing a skirt. This response emphasizes the incessant desire to control how women can and cannot appear, especially since skirts don’t contribute to athletic performance.
In fact, the contrary is the case for Williams since she decided not to wear a skirt due to health issues. While giving birth in 2017, she experienced a six-day medical crisis regarding blood clots in her lungs. As a result, she began wearing shorts while she played tennis to help with her blood circulation. So rather than criticizing Williams for her outfit, how about respecting her health needs so she can perform to the best of her ability?
Pushback in 2021
There are more sports than those aforementioned that have uniforms designed to sexualize female athletes, and there has been a movement against these sexist standards in 2021.
Take handball for example. While men play in shorts and tops, women are made to wear midriff-baring tops and bikini bottoms. According to the International Handball Federation (IHF) regulations, these bikini bottoms should have “a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg.” This ridiculous regulation serves no purpose other than to highlight women’s bodies, and these athletes’ sexualization is extremely evident when comparing the stark difference in uniforms between males and females.
During the Euro 2021 tournament in a match against Spain, the Norwegian beach handball team decided to appear in thigh-length elastic shorts as a protest against their uniform regulations. The response was shameful. The team was fined 1,500 Euros for “improper clothing,” according to a statement by the European Handball Association’s Disciplinary Commission.
Fining these athletes for wanting to wear more modest clothing is extremely ironic considering how women and girls are constantly criticized for revealing their bodies in everyday life. There have been countless incidents over the years where girls have gotten in trouble in school for simply showing their shoulders. Girls are told from a young age that it is wrong to show their bodies since they are sexualized. At the same time, female athletes are forced to wear minimal clothing as part of a uniform. This implies that regulations are ultimately about control, so women can never win because they are either policed for showing too much or policed for showing too little.
That being said, after international outrage regarding the fine imposed on the Norwegian team, the IHF announced new regulations allowing women to wear a “body fit tank top” and “short tight pants with a close fit” while competing. These regulations will come into effect as of January 2022. While there is still a difference between male and female handball uniforms, this is a major symbolic step in the right direction!
The Norwegian beach handball team’s defiant clothing was therefore a significant event. Since then, the German women’s gymnastics team also made a point to highlight the unnecessary uniform standards during the 2021 Olympics in Japan. Instead of wearing bikini-cut leotards, which gymnasts typically wear, they appeared in full-length unitards. This uniform decision confirms the start of an international movement against sexist uniform regulations. This updated uniform also allows for a more comfortable and safer experience given that bikini-cut leotards sometimes slip and are revealing. Additionally, it makes the sports industry more inclusionary given that certain cultures and religious communities do not allow for revealing uniforms, therefore barring people from competing.
We Must Do More
Women have a right to compete in sports while feeling comfortable. They should not have to suffer from the additional pressure from spectators scrutinizing every inch of their bodies. This can lead to self-esteem, body image and health issues and discourage women from partaking in sports. Sexist uniforms can also inhibit athletic performance, are culturally exclusionary, and strengthen the false notion that women are sexual objects for men’s pleasure. As if this weren’t bad enough, this mindset can also lead people to believe that they have a right over women’s bodies, which strengthens rape culture.
These sexist standards are ingrained in our institutions and impact girls and women from the moment they begin playing sports. Everything about this is wrong. Sports should be about sports, not about how you look while playing them.
It’s time to take a stance against sexist dress code regulations in your own community. Call out institutions to change these sexist standards. Whether that be in schools, at work, or on the sports field, people have a right to feel comfortable in how they dress. We must stop this perpetual focus and sexualization of women’s bodies!
NOW takes a holistic approach to women’s rights, and this includes promoting self-love and respect for people’s bodies. NOW has launched its Love Your Body Campaign, which fights back against the unrealistic beauty standards and sexualization that the beauty industry and media imposes on people. Check out our resources to learn more about this problematic culture surrounding women’s bodies. And remember, despite what people and institutions may insinuate, your value is not based on your physical appearance!
Isabelle Homberg, President’s Office Intern
Sources:
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/tokyo-olympics-could-be-turning-point-how-female-athletes-dress-n1275360
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/17229496
- https://www.npr.org/2018/08/24/641549735/one-must-respect-the-game-french-open-bans-serena-williams-catsuit#:~:text=via%20Getty%20Images-,Serena%20Williams%20at%20the%202018%20French%20Open%20in%20Paris%20in,the%20catsuit%20she%20wears%20here.&text=Serena%20Williams%20caused%20a%20sensation,%27t%20as%20fashion%2Dforward
- https://theconversation.com/sexism-and-sport-why-body-baring-team-uniforms-are-bad-for-girls-and-women-16554
- https://thehill.com/policy/international/europe/579455-norway-beach-handball-team-wins-ruling-in-battle-over-uniforms
