Female athletes being penalised for not wearing bikinis should be a thing of the past and action is being taken to demand it never happens again.
Nordic countries have hit back over outdated uniform regulations in sport and urged authorities to reconsider strict dress codes applied to athletes.
The five Nordic nations asked the International Handball Federation (EHF) to revise its uniform policy in line with “gender equality” after European handball officials fined Norway’s women’s beach handball team in July for wearing shorts instead of bikinis.
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The penalty was for “improper clothing” because under the rules, women are mandated to wear tops exposing their midriffs and “fitted, low-cut bikini bottoms”. The Norwegian team wore shorts during a bronze medal match in Bulgaria in protest of this stipulation.
Male beach handball players are permitted to wear T-shirts and shorts.
Now, countries are demanding change. Denmark Sports Minister Ane Halsboe-Joergensen said: “The claim is obsolete, and one would think it belonged to another century.
“I also have a hard time seeing what sporting reasons should be behind female athletes having to play in a bikini.”
The Sports Ministers from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland wrote a joint open letter to the International Handball Federation, as well as other sporting bodies, urging them to review antiquated dress regulations “and to allow athletes to be dressed in a way that suits performance and comfort”.
“We emphasise the need for action not only to accommodate current female athletes, but also to support and encourage all athletes regardless of their gender or background to remain in sport,” the letter said.
After the Norwegian team was fined in July, the country’s Minister for Culture and Sports, Abid Raja, tweeted: “It’s completely ridiculous.
“What a change of attitude is needed in the macho and conservative international world of sport.”
Ahead of the tournament, Norway asked the EHF for permission to play in shorts, but were told that breaches of the rules were punishable by fines. They complied, until their last match.
Renowned singer Pink offered to pay the players’ fines, which amounted to $AUD240 per person.
“I’m VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR ‘uniform’,” Pink tweeted at the time.
“The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up.”
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