One would hope that the oppressive guidelines of dress codes would never go beyond the plaid skirts of catholic school girls, but unfortunately, dress codes follow one into the adult world. While common-sense-upholding guidelines on acceptable attire for a given occasion are definitely a good thing, some more detailed rules can send one right back to gender role stereotypes.
The Badminton World Federation has decided to use these gender stereotypes as a way of increasing interest in female badminton players. With the 2012 Olympics fast approaching, badminton officials came to the conclusion that ordering female players to play in ?
? skirts was the answer. Apparently officials believed that skimpier attire similar to tennis gear would gain female badminton the needed support, but while female tennis players are well-represented in their council, there are only 2 women in the 25 person badminton council.
?We?re not trying to use sex to promote the sport,? said Paisan Rangsikitpho, a deputy president of the Badminton World Federation, ?We just want them to look feminine and have a nice presentation so women will be more popular.?
Regardless of what the Federation says, its clear that there is some serious sexism in the world of badminton. Forcing women to wear skirts to play a sport not only takes away the feeling of equality between male and female players, it also turns women who should be watched for their athletic skill into mere sex symbols. This is offensive not only to women in general, but specifically to women whose religious beliefs prevent them from dressing in such a way. Pakistan?s badminton federation is refusing to follow suit, however, as it is not allowed for most Muslim players.
While its great that the badminton federation is working so hard to get both the sport, and its female players into the spotlight, their means of achieving this new fame are downright wrong. If powerful businesswomen and politicians (Hilary Clinton, anyone?) can gain national support in a pantsuit, there is no reason that female badminton players should be forced to have their athletic skills depreciated so they can be ogled by viewers for all the wrong reasons when they play.
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This entry was posted on Saturday, June 4th, 2011 at 6:00 am and is filed under Women in Sports, feminism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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