The Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative (BJKLI) team champions and advocates for promoting gender equality in sports, including at the Olympic Games, one of the biggest global platforms for athletes. It is clear that this is an important topic for many, especially in the United States, with 66% of U.S. fans sharing how passionate they are about gender equality (Nielsen). The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo are underway and athletes have made their way to Japan to represent their countries, fulfilling lifelong dreams. These athletes have made many sacrifices to participate in the Olympics and some are being asked to sacrifice even more – part of their humanity.
While the athletic achievements are outstanding, our team is also hyper-focused on the decision making behind some of the social justice and equality issues that have already transpired in Tokyo and around the world. We believe it is important to have rules for the safety of all, but there are moments when governing bodies must stop for a moment and consider humanity in their decision making and consider how the rules might impact participants as awareness about gender and race equity comes to the forefront. Olympic athletes are diverse human beings with complicated lives and needs that are unique to their respective situations. We have observed the way that uniforms, accommodations for disabilities, considerations with regard to motherhood, and LGBTQ+ advocacy have impacted the participation of athletes in the 2020 Olympics, especially women.
Uniforms are one aspect of rules that help keep everything equitable among the sports. However, this is one of the areas that can use review and consideration from a gender perspective. More than a decade ago, beach volleyball changed their uniform policy to provide women with options besides bikini bottoms but in 2019, Serena Williams received backlash at the French Open after wearing a catsuit. In the past few weeks, there have been several occasions where women have been criticized for their uniform choices. The German women’s Olympic gymnastics team decided to wear full-length unitards, Paralympian Olivia Breen was told her shorts were “too short”, swimming caps designed for women with natural black hair were banned, and the Norwegian women’s beach handball team was fined for refusing to wear bikini bottoms during a game.
We need to listen to these athletes and acknowledge that this is about much more than a uniform. “It’s not just about the uniform. It’s about creating equity, inclusion and space for these young women—who are growing into womanhood—to find and continue to use sport as a place of empowerment, ” said Akilah Carter-Francique, the executive director for the Institute for the Study of Sport, Society and Social Change at San José State University. Women athletes should not be judged on anything but their athletic performance and we need to come together to foster inclusive spaces, where their athletic performance can excel and inspire.
We then turn to the challenges that come when combining motherhood with being an athlete. Due to strict COVID-19 related rules and protocols, women athletes were forced to make the difficult decision as to whether or not they would bring their newborn babies with them to Tokyo. USA Today featured a story about the challenges for nursing mothers who travelled with their children and felt as if they were forced to either pursue their athletic goals or care for their infants. But why not both? Because the IOC failed to understand how critical and common nursing is. One star is using her platform to show that women do not need to choose between athletic dreams and motherhood, but that they do need support. Allyson Felix launched a $200,000 grant program in partnership with Athleta to help cover the childcare costs for mom athletes in Tokyo. Well done, Allyson!
We are disappointed that the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee did not allow Becca Meyers, Team USA, to bring a personal care assistant (PCA) to the Games, causing her to cancel her plans to compete in the Paralympics. Meyers, who is deaf and blind, was told that there would be one PCA for 34-member Paralympic swim team and no exceptions to the delegation list would be made other than athletes and essential operational personnel. Again, this is a clear lack of understanding. How a governing body could not deem a PCA as essential operational personnel is astounding and unfortunately is likely to end Meyers’ Paralympic career.
Despite the social justice issues that have already plagued the Olympics, there are signs of positivity and progress. There are at least 168 publicly out LGBTQ+ athletes competing in Tokyo, which is more than the number who have participated in all of the previous Summer Olympic Games combined while publicly out. Laurel Hubbard will become be the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics since trans people were first permitted to enter the games in 2004 and has been embraced by her competitors, one of whom has called Laurel’s participation “a positive” for the sport.
We are also encouraged by the outpouring of support Simone Biles has received for prioritizing her mental health when she withdrew from the team finals and individual all-around competitions. USA Gymnastics shared on Twitter, “We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”
Now that is what putting humanity first looks like! More of this, please!
This story was produced by Dr. Sofia B. Pertuz, PhD, SHRM-SCP, (She/Her), Managing Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Billie Jean King Enterprises.