Badminton, not cheap thrills
The Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) recent decision to implement a new dress code for female players has been met with much controversy, particularly in Pakistan. Conservatives in the country are predictably outraged by the demand that women have to play the sport bare-legged, in skirts.
For what’s probably the first time in my life, I find myself agreeing with the religious zealots of Pakistan – albeit, for entirely different reasons.
While the BWF insists that women must wear skirts, religious pundits argue that women must be covered up – both positions are unacceptable. Neither dress codes are a necessary constituents of the game, and attempts to enforce either one are equally patriarchal. By forcing women to dress a certain way, you deny them their autonomy – something which they are fundamentally entitled to.
Violation of women’s rights
So, although the BWF assures that its new rules do not “in any way discriminate against religious beliefs,” it fails to protect a woman’s right to her own body, and thereby discriminates against an entire gender. What should instead be promoted is the freedom for women to wear what they feel comfortable in – providing it meets all health and safety standards set by the BWF.
Moreover, for many reasons, women are marginalised from sports the world over – this is especially true of Pakistan. Instead of imposing restrictions which will inevitably exclude women even further, the BWF should be making the sport as inclusive and accessible as possible.
But, perhaps the most appalling thing about this whole debacle is the BWF’s motive behind its new clothing regulations:
“to raise the profile of women in badminton.”
This is presumably to help attract viewers, supporters and corporate sponsors.
Badminton players or strippers?
I’m confused. Last time I checked, ‘women’s sport’ was not a code for strip club.
The implication of the BWF’s new ruling is that “a raised profile” means sexing up female players. It means that they think businesses and corporations will only invest in the sport, and viewers will only watch the sport, if they are delivered the cheap thrill of peering up a woman’s skirt and are promised a glimpse of pink, lacy underpants now and then.
Asking corporations to throw money at the sport because viola! Badminton now has sexy girls, is obscenely derogatory, or derogatorily obscene. It’s the sporting equivalent of having corset-clad women swing around a pole and have them bend over so that bored, obnoxious and emotionally-stunted men can insert crisp banknotes into their g-strings. And this is not acceptable.
This is of course is a wider problem and the BWF recognises this fact. Unfortunately, this is how the world of sports operates. Funding for women’s sport is particularly thin on the ground, and turning sporting figures into sex symbols is a tried and tested, fool proof formula.
We are all responsible
And we are all guilty for this phenomenon. From the culture of celeb-worship, gossip columns which discuss the girth of the Williams’ sisters’ thighs, to the realm of advertising where the face/arse of a tennis star sells diamond studded watches, this is a world that we willingly buy into. But, this needs to change.
Sport for sport’s sake needs to be encouraged in all areas of society, including schools, workplaces, government and at home. Governments and funding bodies should be lobbied to make sports more accessible to sections of society that are deprived – women and lower classes particularly. Both men and women need to demand that sports be recognised as significant for itself and they should promote the social, cultural, community and health benefits of it.
And for all our sakes, let’s stop objectifying women. Whether it pleases religious sensibilities or sexual ones, we need to stop demanding that women dress a certain way. A woman’s body is her own property and however high the bids, it is not up for sale.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of The Express Tribune.
Brilliant.Recommend
SPOILER ALERT: A few hundred years back , many of Europe’s intellectuals deliberated for days and found that although a woman is a human (thank goodness they finally realized it), its sole purpose is to provide pleasure to men. And this philosophy to date continues if you look closely. The only real rights west has given to women are free, unquestionable independence of having sex and fooled women into believing they actually cared.Recommend
I think men in the BWF are quite perverted and females are harrased. What do they want next sponsored Panties by “Always”!!Recommend
Awesome. More.Recommend
Well next step will be to ban the skirt as well! MORE FREEDOM… of behayai.Recommend
Morons in the BWFRecommend
@CB Guy: Your comments are cent per cent right dear. I second you. But what have they got? They have ruined their family system and now looking to evolve their family system again.Recommend
I am so glad somebody is seeing sense in it. Where are all the libertarians and women rights groups I ask ? Badminton can be played exposing privates can’t it. Its a shame let women play but not with their dignity.Recommend
I don’t really think there is a problem playing wearing the skirts. People should concentrate on the game, not on the outfits that people wear while playing it.Recommend
“equivalent of having corset-clad women swing around a pole and have them bend over so that bored, obnoxious and emotionally-stunted men can insert crisp banknotes into their g-strings. And this is not acceptable.”
Seriously, you want me to take you seriously. Sex is evil or what?
Maybe its just that women are beautifull and people like whats beautifull. No need to be ashamed.
I think its trying to make a cause out of nothing. In every sport I can think of maybe except chess you have dress code. You are not free to wear what you want, no you dont, theres code that you must follow and its not always a case of usefulness, take wearing long pant for man in golf. The point is that theres a code, you cant wear what you want and its clearly said you can just wear short with a skirt over like they do in tennis. Also, that dess code will be only for international competition sponsorised by the BWF if I understand correctly, not really for the sport as a whole.Recommend
@ Chup Shaw: Family system is bad for business. You want a family divided into its constituents. For example, a 6 member family will take a mini van to a wedding reception. However, if they are more independent and not as closely knit, they will probably use 3-4 different vehicles. Good for auto industry as well as petroleum industry. And this applies to every single aspect in life.Recommend
I liked your blog, your style and some of your points were good. I’m trying to think up a reason for why the BWF would implement such a rule (safety reasons?) and failing to come up with any good ones.
However, FR up there has some good points. There are dress codes for every sport and they need to be followed. You can protest if you think its worth it, but at the end of the day you have to follow the rules that the higher-ups make.Recommend
Late post ET. Pakistan today covered it last week .. Yawn !Recommend
What’s goin on in here people? I admit I was taken by surprise by this blog as it actually defends feminist values. That felt sense but then it look some didn’t like this and suprisingly women, as it looks like its ok for them that sports can direct them to dress in certain way even if compromising their elegance and honor.
Well I feel author exaggerated a little by going over with comparing players to strippers as well, but point taken and it is the responsibility as rational human beings to condemn attempts to disgrace women like this. I think BWF should uphold the values of freedom to dress appropriately which comforts the women mentally not banning them with anything they want to wear instead.Recommend
shit i know u. and no i didnt read ur 2 cents.Recommend
Nudity itself is not problem. Why do people care what anyone wears? It really doesn’t matter. Everyone was born naked.Recommend
Its all psychology.Recommend
@sara everyone’s born Naked so ..is it the reason to be… or an excuse to be ….or is it your excuse only?? What are you playing……at?
Are you born yesterday?Recommend
@Fahad Raza: I don’t know whose excuse it is. But it is not a problem for me. I was not born yesterday, it has been some time now. But I am comfortable.Recommend
So, would it be okay for men to play without tee-shirts?
How about in tight fitting Speedo trunks … should they be amenable to it?
The thing is, that women assume that these rules are being foisted on them.
Men are subjected to dress codes too.
Ergo, your waffle tripe about ‘patriarchy’, quite simply doesn’t wash.
It doesn’t hold water to begin with.
Then again, you in the constant echo chamber that ‘women’s lib’ is,
believe that men and women are ‘equal’. It is a hackneyed rhetoric.
Sorry, men and women are different. Unless, of course, you want to go fight wars.
This is to make the point, that in any society, yes, that paradise of the West,
where women are ‘liberated’, there too … the differences are visible and
here is a new word and concept … VIABLE.
How so, you ask. Well, consider that women’s rights organisations complain,
ad infinitum, about the ‘glare of men’.
Make up your mind … you can’t eat your cake and have it too.
If the ‘unwarranted’ attention of men’s glare / gaze is so much of a burden, and pester.
Then, something has got to give. Biology and psychology, are too engrained in all of us.
Both in men and women. If you insist, that you have a right to donne any garb you wish,
then men have a right to look at you from their individual and collective perspective and
evolutionary instincts. No amount of litigation, or demonstration, will substantively
alter that state of being, to your liking for generations to come.
Women are very recent arrivals into the world of sports.
There is a reason why rules are placed in any games.
Because, without those rules, the context, texture and character of the game, is nullified.
In fact, to put it simply, it ceases to be ‘the’ game at all … and becomes another ‘game’.
Uniforms are part of the games rules. Unless, of course, you want to play the ‘game’ entirely on your own, in your own court, with no audience to watch.
I believe, they tried it in Iran and Saudi Arabia. I am told by reliable sources, that it wasn’t much fun for either the ladies playing or for the non-existent audience.
I rest my case. Now, please cover up. Thank you.Recommend
All sporting events require advertising, lots of it. The organisers of the sporting events rely on what the advertisers think. The approval of the advertisers is absolutely essential. The opinions of the advertisers depends on their established public image about them and their products. Advertisers have every right to pull their advertisements from an event which would does not represent them adequately. Dress codes have to conform to the general consensus of all the advertisers. Pakistan stays out of most sports event, particularly those in which women participate – simply because the dress requirements.
What cannot be denied is that there should be equal participation of women in all sports – if Pakistani women cannot be sent abroad, then similar sports events should be organised in here. a national basis and the advertisers will have to conform to Pakistan’s official standing on attire.Recommend
I tends to agree with Sara …. but at the same time I can’t see any good reason why BWF came up with this rule only…Recommend
I agree with sara :) lets get bornRecommend
I think even if somebody wants to play naked, there shouldn’t be any restrictions.Recommend
the author needs to be aware of facts before posting. Never has the BWF said that the female players need to “play the sport bare-legged, in skirts”…like the author has suggest.
The BWF, infact, stated that the players can wear shorts or track bottoms but must wear the skirt OVER it.Recommend
What the BWF want to see underneath.
They also want to entertain the viewership in one ticket.Recommend