Finally, some good fucking news: The International Handball Federation has changed its sexist bikini rule after being called out for double standards earlier this year.
In July, the European Handball Federation was blasted by athletes and the public alike for fining the Norwegian women’s beach handball team because they wore shorts instead of bikinis.
The team was fined €1,500 (AUS$2,407) as their shorts were considered “improper clothing”, and women were expected to wear bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg”.
This is what they have to wear. They say these bottoms make them feel unnecessarily sexualized + uncomfortable when they have their periods and the likes. They will however play in them as long as they are mandatory by the CEV. pic.twitter.com/OYmmS5PyGi
— Tradia (@amalieskram) July 15, 2021
The ruling caused international uproar, with celebrity icons like P!nk voicing their support for the Norwegian women’s team. P!nk even offered to pay their fine in protest of sexism.
Since then, the International Handball Federation has quietly changed the rule for the women’s uniform in the sport, which now states that “female athletes must wear short tight pants with a close fit”.
It’s a good step in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go.
Here are the rules for the men’s vs. women’s uniforms. Ridiculously pic.twitter.com/8wDXG22sTd
— KT SLP (@MrsThornSLP) July 25, 2021
Male handball players are currently allowed to wear regular shorts as long as they’re 10cm above the knee, while women who wear shorts must still be wearing clothing that is “tight” and have a specific “close fit” to their body. There aren’t any similar rules for men.
Infuriatingly, while women like those of the Norwegian beach handball team were told to wear clothes that are more revealing, Paralympian Olivia Breen was left speechless and outraged earlier this year when she was told her competition briefs were “too short and inappropriate”.
Outraged about the Norwegian volleyball team being fined for not wearing bikinis? Keep that energy going for all the places that force Muslim women to undress, and the sports that ban girls in hijab✌🏽Can women just wear what they want?(Yes that includes not forcing them to cover)
— Ginella Massa (@Ginella_M) July 21, 2021
On the flip side, a hijab ban is currently being held in place by the Federation du Football Francais (FFF) in France, despite FIFA striking it down in 2014.
It seems that no matter what female athletes wear, modest or revealing, there are rules restricting or exposing them. Because really, this isn’t about women and sports, it’s about patriarchy and the need to control women’s bodies.
