“I’ve worn them for nine years,” she told BBC. “I’ve never had a problem and we should feel comfortable with what we wear.”
Breen was wearing virtually the same bikini bottoms that all female beach handball players are required to wear. But when she wore them to compete in a different sport, they were deemed inappropriate.
Sexualization and Exploitation of Female Athletes
In girls as young as elementary school, the universal volleyball uniform is skin-tight and revealing—featuring spandex booty shorts and a snug top which do absolutely nothing but highlight the butt, crotch, and chest of the young girls and women who wear them.
On Reddit, an entire community named VolleyballGirls, exists to objectify and extort young women and girls wearing volleyball uniforms.
The community’s 171 THOUSAND members are able to scroll through and contribute to a never-ending thread of photos and videos, featuring young girls sporting volleyball uniforms.
“All hail the glory of the ‘officially-sanctioned’ volleyball outfit,” the community says.
The page is littered with photos and videos that capture young girls and women in compromising positions while playing volleyball in revealing uniforms. The community’s comments and captions are beyond vulgar.
A Necessary Change
The Norwegian women’s beach handball team was fined for trying to wear MORE clothing. These women were penalized and faced disqualification for covering their butts while playing a sport that calls for intense agility and movement.
WHY is this the standard? Why are women and girls subjected to these sexist rules that have nothing to do with the sport itself? Why are the governing bodies in charge of these sports more concerned with clothing than they are with competition?
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“It’s unfair. Money and fines should not be part of the discussion,” said French national team manager, Valérie Nicolas, who supported the Norwegian’s decision to protest.
Nicolas emphasized that changes in regulation are absolutely necessary.
“We have lost players due to the suits. The players tell me they are uncomfortable, feel naked, and watched. It is a sport with a lot of movement and you are hindered by the bikini. There is also discomfort associated with menstruation, and not least religion,” he explained.
The Norwegian women’s beach handball team didn’t make it to the finals at the European Championships over the weekend, but they did find victory in the resounding support and calls for change from people around the globe. The team pioneered change, and put a global spotlight on the unfair, and sexist standards female athletes are held to.
