Overview of the Issue
Sporting has social, aesthetic, and economic value making it one of the industries that set the pace in local, national, and global economies. However, this industry faces numerous challenges that negatively impact athletes, club owners, managers, fans, and policymakers. The most outstanding current issue discussed in this discourse is the abuse of women in sports. This issue which may be classified as ethical and legal is yet to gain the attention it deserves, meaning that it prevents women and girls from developing as athletes. A focus on the issue in terms of key concepts, organizations and individuals involved, timelines, and new stories would enhance understanding. Consequently, the concerned stakeholders may design and implement policies that empower women and girls to participate and thrive in various sports.
Key Concepts
The issue in question falls under two functional areas of sporting discourse, most specifically ethics and law. Sports management is about ensuring fairness and justice to players, coaches, fans, and other stakeholders. There is a need for ethical guidelines that outline acceptable and unacceptable behavior in and out of the field. According to Crosset & Hums, the ethical grounding of sports management is crucial in solving moral dilemmas that would adversely affect stakeholders. The abuse of women in sports creates ethical dilemmas considering that most of the time, the perpetrators are usually coaches or club owners. Thus, stakeholders have to decide whether to sue the perpetrators to protect the victims' dignity or conceal the abuse to the detriment of the women who have been abused.
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The issue could also be viewed through a legal lens, considering that abuse is a violation of human rights. The Constitution establishes that all people are equal as they may be drawn from different genders, age groups, races, or socio-economic classes. Essentially, parties in the sporting discourse rely on the legal system to resolve disputes that arise. Thus, sports managers must understand all the legal principles to mitigate risks and know the processes of seeking assistance (Masteralexis & Masteralexis). Notably, the adherence to legal principles ad provisions would reduce instances of gender-based abuse by ensuring that the punishment is proportional to the intensity of the abuse.
Organizations Involved
Gender-based violence is an issue that has received significant attention, with local, national, and international organizations collaborating to avert its negative impacts. The sports industry has joined the global cause, considering that several organizations advocating for gender equality. The most visible organizations are:
The International Olympic Committee : This organization has an educational website: Sexual Harassment and Abuse (SHA), which targets coaches, athletes and sports agencies, and organizations. The website, available in six languages: English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese, raises awareness about homophobia and sexual abuse and abuse (European Union, 2018). The use of interactive videos highlighting several scenarios helps individuals recognize risk factors for harassment and abuse, thus reducing likelihood.
UN Women : This global organization developed the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995 to empower women and girls. Notably, the platform aims to remove all the systematic barriers that hold girls and women in the sporting field (UN Women, 2020a).
The International Working Group on Women & Sport : The organization which was initiated in 1994, is focused on empowering girls and women to achieve gender equality in the sporting discourse (The International Working Group on Women & Sport, 2020).
Women Sport International : This organization is committed to achieving positive change and increasing physical activities and sporting opportunities for women and girls at all levels (Women Sport International, 2021).
Individuals Involved
Gender-based violence that disproportionately affects women in sport could be addressed through combined efforts from key individuals who include:
Sports managers : These individuals are responsible for ensuring that athletes, club owners, and coaches adhere to legal and ethical guidelines. Bar & Hums affirm that sport managers operate in rapidly changing environments that require them to manage the industry's most valuable resource: people to remain relevant. Thus, these individuals must be flexible enough to promote the equality of all athletes, no matter their gender or sexual orientation.
Legal advisors : These individuals are crucial in addressing gender-based violence against women considering that they possess the requisite knowledge. Notably, sporting agencies and clubs should organize seminars and workshops to sensitize athletes on gender-based violence. Similarly, legal advisors can provide victims the aid they need if they are violated to cushion sports clubs against risks associated with such disputes.
Athletes : Gender-based violence continues to be a significant issue in the sporting discourse since athletes are yet to take it with the seriousness it deserves. Male and female athletes have a role to play to end the vicious cycle of abuse by being more proactive in addressing the issue. These athletes should report incidences of physical or sexual abuse and harassment to the relevant authorities and be ready to give evidence whenever necessary.
Timeline of Important Events
Abuse of women in sport is not a new phenomenon, considering that it reflects a society still trying to achieve gender equality in all spheres of life. This issue may be best understood by focusing on the timeline of some of the most important events revolving around gender-based violence in the sporting discourse. Most of the events are organized by international agencies that champion the rights of women and girls. The most notable events are:
57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN headquarters : This event which occurred on March 13, 2013, highlighted the critical role sports play in eliminating and preventing violence against girls and women (International Olympics Committee, 2013).
Launch of the Sports for Generation Equality Initiative: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) partnered with UN Women launched this initiative on March 11, 2020, to achieve gender equality through sport. Thomas Bach, the IOC president, asserted that sport is a powerful tool for empowering women and girls, thus the need for male and female athletes to jointly carry their teams' flags during opening ceremonies (UN Women, 2020b)
The United Nations, through the Beijing Platform for Action, has been organizing annual campaigns to end violence against women. The most recent campaigns are:
UNiTE Campaign November 25- December 10, 2019 : The 16 days of activism dubbed "Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape!" aimed at challenging people to refuse the pervasive culture of rape (UN Women, 2020c).
UNiTE Campaign 25 November-10 December 2020: The theme for last year's initiative was "Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!" to help women survive escalated violence in the post-COVID-19 era (UN Women 2020c).
News Stories
Gender-based violence that receives significant media attention considering that it remains a critical social issue is yet to be addressed. In the recent past, the media has focused on the sporting discourse where sexual abuse and harassment of women have been on the rise. A news article by Irenton (2021) highlights the plight of Canadian female athletes during Peter Des Brisay's tenure. The complaints called for canceling of a contract with Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, considering that three of its former coaches, including Brisay, have a history of sexual misconduct and harassment. Another article by the Wire (2021), titled "Seven More Women Athletes Accuse Sports Coach Nagarajan of Sexual Abuse of Years," highlights the plight of Indian female athletes. According to this article P. Nagarajan, a renowned sports coach, has allegedly been abusing athletes for years and threatening to end their careers if they reported him. Martin (2021) establishes a similar pattern in his article where Paddy Everingham sexually harassed two Glasgow University students when he headed the institution's sports association. These three articles depict an industry that is struggling to promote the interests of female athletes despite calls for gender equality.
References
Barr, C. A., & Hums, M. A. (2018). Management principles applied to sport management. In Lisa P. Masteralexis, Carol, A. Barr, and Mary, A. Hums (Eds.), Principles and practice of sport management (pp. 27-44). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Crosset, T. W., & Hums, M. A. (2018). Ethical principles applied to sport management. In Lisa P. Masteralexis, Carol, A. Barr, and Mary, A. Hums (Eds.), Principles and practice of sport management (pp. 132-147). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
European Union. (2018). Gender-based violence in sport . https://rm.coe.int/bis-factsheet-gender-equality-sport-violence-en/1680714c0c
International Olympics Committee. (2013, March 13). Eliminating and preventing violence against women and girls through sport . https://olympics.com/ioc/news/eliminating-and-preventing-violence-against-women-and-girls-through-sport
Ireton, J. (2021, July 12). Misconduct allegations spur calls for universities to cut ties with running clubs. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-lions-track-club-abuse-allegations-university-of-ottawa-carleton-contract-1.6093419
Martin, H. (2021, July 12). Glasgow University students 'let down' over sexual harassment reports. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-57804932
Masteralexis, L. P., & Masteralexis, J. T. (2018). Legal principles applied to sport management. In Lisa P. Masteralexis, Carol, A. Barr, and Mary, A. Hums (Eds.), Principles and practice of sport management (pp. 97-126). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
The International Working Group on Women & Sport. (2020). About us. https://iwgwomenandsport.org/
The Wire. (2021, July 10). Seven more women athletes accuse sports coach Nagarajan of sexual abuse, for years . https://thewire.in/women/sports-coach-nagarajan-sexual-abuse-harassment-chennai-pocso
UN Women. (2020a). Sport for generation equality: Advancing gender equality in and through sport. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/3/news-sport-for-generation-equality
UN Women. (2020b). Press release: International Olympic Committee takes a leadership role in UN Women Sports for Generation Equality initiative . https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/3/press-release-ioc-takes-leadership-role-in-sports-for-generation-equality-initiative
UN Women. (2020c). 16 days of activism against gender-based violence . https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/take-action/16-days-of-activism
Women Sport International. (2021). About WSI . https://womensportinternational.org/
