For as long as anyone can remember,
women in both developed and non-developed countries have been fighting for
basic human rights and in many respects, they have received them. However,
there is still discrimination against women present in our society
today, especially when looking at the athletics industry.
Although this discrimination of women is still present in the athletic industry today, many people understand this patriarchy and objectification and are both trying to re-appropriate female stereotypes as well as transgress the objectivity of women in the media.
Above is the commercial, Always #likeagirl clearly showing how the negative perception of a term can be changed in order to describe someone talented, strong and truly “like a girl.”
Traditional
patriarchal gender roles that are said to have been abolished from our society
come to fruition when you look at the world of women in sport. In this field,
it is clear that men are still seen as being superior to women. In collegiate
sport, patriarchy is shown as male athletics take precedent over female ones
due to the fact that men are faster, stronger and in societies eyes, better
than women. Statistics show that male athletes receive 55% of the NCAA college
athletic scholarship money, 10% more than that of women. Also, only 36% of college
athletic team recruitment dollars go towards women’s sports. With regards to
coaching, the difference in salary between a women’s team coach and a men’s
team coach is about $2 257 600. When looking at professional sport, the pay gap
between male and female athletes is astonishing. In the 2015 season, a WNBA
player can make between $38,000 and $109,500 compared to the starting salary of
a NBA player being over $500,000 dollars. (*Click here for the website in which all above statistics and information come from) The
lack of interest in female athletics as shown above can relate to the
patriarchal gender roles that view women and men as binaries, perceiving men as
being strong, fit and made for athletics as opposed to weak and frail women who
belong at home. Based on the idea of biological essentialism, in the sports
field, it is clear that women are seen as being inferior to men because of
their biological differences. Hayley Wikenheizer, the captain of the women's
national hockey team, and my role model, is interviewed regarding the
difficulties she experienced as a female hockey player growing up. Posted below
is the interview (watch up to 1:00).
Because
of this obvious patriarchy present in the sports industry, the media is often seen
objectifying professional female athletes, always finding ways to make them
look more stereotypically feminine. When looking at magazines in particular,
female athletes are not portrayed as independent strong women and are instead
seen as sexual objects. This sexualisation of female athletes in the media
reinforces the fact that women are still seen as nothing more than their body
and that in their field of sport, their subjectivity is still yet to be
recognized.
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| Ashley Harkleroad, a retired tennis player being objectified and sexualised |
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| J.J. What, a player in the NFl shown as being strong and athletic |
The above pictures
show how the media portrays professional female athletes as opposed to male athletes.
This shows the objectification and sexualisation of women in the athletic
industry and also solidifies the fact that women still face patriarchy today,
being depicted as weak, sexual objects shown in the first image, as opposed to
strong and powerful subjects as shown in the second image.
Although this discrimination of women is still present in the athletic industry today, many people understand this patriarchy and objectification and are both trying to re-appropriate female stereotypes as well as transgress the objectivity of women in the media.
Above is the commercial, Always #likeagirl clearly showing how the negative perception of a term can be changed in order to describe someone talented, strong and truly “like a girl.”
Other professional female athletes have used their fame in
the media to transgress the stereotypical view of women in the sports industry.
Serena Williams for example, an African American female tennis player, because
of her body type and confidence, has been able to transgress the way women are
viewed in society and the sports industry. As a child, Serena always struggled
with her image, being "thicker" than other athletes her age. She was
able to overcome the stereotype that a woman must be petite in order to be beautiful.
Williams told Huffington Post in an interview this past June, "Most women
athletes are pretty thin. I didn't really know how to deal with it. I had to
come to terms - as every teen and young adult does - with loving myself. I had
to find different role models. But my body type is in style now, so I'm loving
it" (Click here to see the full article by the Huffington Post). Her ability to be confident with her body type allows her to transgress the
stereotypical ways women are viewed and objectified. She is not seen as being
skinny, curvy and weak but rather fit, strong and confident, three patriarchal
gender roles that are predominate in men. Today she is a role model for many,
including me and her confidence in her body allows her to transgress
patriarchal gender views and empower women all around the world.
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| Williams showing how strength is beautiful in a celebrity ad campaign |
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| Wearing feminine clothing allows Serena to show society how being strong can also mean being feminine |
Because
of the ongoing battle for women’s rights, women have been able to achieve many
rights and freedoms that were not once available to them. However the fight, as
I said, is still ongoing and in the field of sport, has a long way to go. It is
statistically proven that physical activity and sport provide many advantages
for children and adults alike. Boosting self-confidence, improving performance
in work and school and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are just some of the
many benefits to athletics (To see the full website and more facts and statistics about the benefits of sport, click here). Companies like Always and people like Serena Williams as well as organisations
like the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and
Physical Activity (CAAWS) are all working to empower women and girls, defeat
the patriarchal stereotypes and truly re-appropriate and change how the world
views women in the Athletic industry. Being one of the last areas in society where women are still seen as lesser than their male counterparts, the importance of this is endless and the more we can do to help change the views and empower women, the better.
Posted above is a video about CAAWS and why they feel it is important for women to be active in sport.
