Women have to go through a lot of difficulties to reach what they desire. Often, families are bound by stereotypical thought processes, societal pressures, and social and democratic testing, all of which restrict them from letting their daughters become a part of society, even though they have so much to offer to them in the form of recognition and accolades.
To outshine others in the field, female athletes have to go through sexism, favouritism and other kinds of slurs to become role models to other young girls. If there is one thing that India has lately been achieving is how its women players have raised the toast to the country’s performance in sports.
The latest talk here is how women have been excelling in Tokyo Olympics. A record number of feats have been possible and are being made because of the outshining Indian women in sports — be it Mirabai Chanu, who bagged the silver medal in weightlifting, to PV Sindhu, who earned a bronze in badminton, or the women’s hockey team who has reached the semifinals in the championship. The entire country is proud of its women players and their record shining performance.
For Mirabai Chanu, it is after two years that she met her family after returning home from the Tokyo Olympics as she was preparing for the championship. Meanwhile, Sindhu’s parents were booming with joy as their daughter has been the first athlete after a long period of time to consecutively win medals in Olympics. India’s women’s hockey team defeated the Australian women’s team to enter the semifinals for the first time ever.
The history of women’s participation creates a very harsh picture of gender discrimination. In the 1976 summer Olympics, there were no female athletes, while the 52 women contingent in the latest Tokyo Olympics 2021 have shown us a path that the country has treaded through to make way for women that matter.
The IOC statement on gender equality in the Olympic movement is: “Inclusion, diversity and gender equality are integral components of the work of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).” The movement looks forward to equal participation of men and women in the games by blurring the line between what was earlier known as a male-dominated affair. The Olympics is now a stage for women, too, and soon, there will be 49% of women who will be competing in different games.
So far, the Tokyo Olympics 2021 has witnessed a record number of gender stereotypes and taboos attached to the game worning off. From higher female participation to changed dress code of women in the games, the championshop represents that women are on the field not only for their skills, but also for their mind and thought. As long as they are sticking to the justified guidelines, they can choose to wear whatever they want to. The Olympics has been beaming with body inclusivity and body positivity this time. They have discarded bikini suits from the gymnastic team of Germany, promoting freedom of choice and comfort to the participants.