“One of the most important moments in the history of women at the Olympic Games and in sport in general,” said Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, referring to the milestone that has been celebrated around the world in recent weeks, as for the first time at the Olympics there will be total parity: 5,250 women, 5,250 men.
This news, of course, moved me deeply. And the word ‘parity’ left a taste of euphoria in my mouth, as I added the Olympic calendar to my Google calendar so as not to miss the first women’s volleyball match later this month (Italy vs Dominican Republic, as always, not to be missed). However, to my NOT great surprise, I realized that on social media there are more than a few individuals who question the value of parity. There is talk of ‘forced parity’, added to ‘these new gender ideologies brought by feminists’, among other curious salads of misused concepts.
This gives me the perfect opportunity to break down these comments and, in my view, highlight the intrinsic value of parity and why this does not equate to ‘given the spaces’.
Let’s start with the basics. Gender parity is not a concession, but a matter of justice. Women have an equal right to participate and excel in sport, especially when they have been relegated to the background for so long, and lose out on the opportunities offered by women. sponsors When they express the desire to be mothers, they do not have the same tools or sports equipment as their male counterparts, among other challenges they have faced since 1900 in Paris. “It’s not like women’s sports are consumed either.” But how are we going to support female athletes, enjoy their exploits when they are not in the media? According to a UNESCO study, women represent 40% of all sports participants worldwide, but only receive 4% of sports media coverage.
This year, things are different. The men’s and women’s events will have equal television coverage during prime time. This is not a concession, it is justice.
Now let’s talk about effort, talent, merit. Is parity being forced without women fighting for their space? At the 2016 Rio Olympics, women won 45% of the total medals, with multiple athletes calling on the media to recognize their efforts, to give not only more attention to women’s sport, but also funding to improve performance and performance of tomorrow’s athletes. Parity doesn’t mean taking everything for granted, giving you space, but rather creating a fair environment where both men and women can compete on equal terms. “Another gender initiative at the Paris 2024 games includes a more balanced number of medals, with 152 women’s events, 157 men’s and 20 mixed” says Rolling Stone in Spanish. The inclusion and visibility of more women in the world of competitive sport does not diminish the quality of the competition; on the contrary, it enriches it and makes it more representative of global talent.
Gender takes a backseat when it comes to affection, passion, giving everything in competition, to the sport to which you have dedicated your entire life.
This, reader, brings me to the last point I wanted to address in this column: what it means for young women and girls to see themselves represented at the Olympic Games.
A study by the Women’s Sports Foundation found that girls are twice as likely as boys to quit sport by the time they reach their teens, mainly due to self-esteem issues and a lack of confidence in their sporting abilities. On the other hand, a report by Ernst & Young and ESPNW found that 54% of girls quit sport by the age of 17, with one of the reasons cited being a lack of female role models in sport.
Many of our grandmothers and mothers did not grow up seeing women in sport, role models who made them think ‘yes, she did it, maybe I can too’. Being ‘the first to do it’ is often romanticised, but today, in the 21st century, we must go further.
Times are changing, and we must continue to push to ensure that no girl, young woman or woman abandons her love of sport because of a glass ceiling that prevents her from continuing to advance.
So that more girls can dream of having a movement named after them like Simone Biles, Nadia Comăneci’s perfect score, dominating the waves like Sol Aguirre, the Uppercut of Laura Fuertes, the aim of Francisca Crovetto, the perseverance of Tania Zeng.
A study by the Aspen Institute said that in the years following the 2012 London Olympics, which had a significant female representation, there was a significant increase in girls’ participation in sports in the United Kingdom.
Parity works, representation is necessary. It is not a concession, it is not forced inclusion.
It is and always will be justice.
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