COMMUNITIES AND CRISIS

Inclusive Development Through Sport

29th October 2012, Rheinsberg/Germany

GENDER AND SPORT

Challenges in Crisis Areas

Proposed agenda

• Introduction: practical exercise

• Historical perspective

• Terminology and definitions

• Understanding and overcoming barriers

Special focus: Socio-cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity

• Examples from Malawi • Recommendations

Why are we talking about sport and gender?

Notion of Gender

• Not study of women or feminism

• Female + male social interaction/relationship

• Disadvantages at female expense (hidden girls)

• Risk of abstractions

Terminology and definitions

Particularities of ‘sport for development’

• Attractiveness, popularity

(broad media coverage)

• Worldwide outreach

• Relatively simple setting / infrastructure

• Leisure time and fun factor

• Historical link with masculinity

• Emphasis on body and its functions

• Claiming public space (visibility)

Historical link with masculinity

• 1912: Pierre de Coubertin

« Une olympiade femelle serait inintéressante, inesthétique, et incorrecte. Le véritable héros olympique est, à mes yeux, l’adulte mâle individuel. (...). Aux JO leur rôle devrait être surtout, comme aux anciens tournois, de couronner des vainqueurs. »

• 1922: Female Olympic Games

First edition held in Paris

Official admission of women’s

sports to the Olympic Games

(selection)

Sport Year of

introduction

Scene of

Olympics

First admission

for women /

men

Archery 1904 St. Louis

Athletics 1928 Amsterdam X

Volleyball 1964 Tokio X

Handball 1976 Montreal

Cycling 1984 Los Angeles

Tennis 1988 Seoul X

Judo 1992 Barcelona

Football/Soccer 1996 Atlanta

Ice-Hockey 1998 Nagano

Weight lifting 2000 Sydney

Boxing 2012 London

Terminology and definitions

Gender

Development

/ Crisis

Sport

1

2

Socio-cultural context

Importance of considering specific socio-

cultural setting (=> careful assessment) !

Importance of socio-cultural context

In most parts of the world…

… sport is still considered “unfeminine”.

… females are largely under-

represented at all levels in sport.

Understanding and overcoming barriers

1. Socio-economic barriers

2. Safety concerns

3. Material, infrastructural and

technical barriers

4. Lack of female role models

5. Socio-cultural barriers

Understanding and overcoming barriers

1 Socio-economic barriers

• Availability of leisure time

(division of labour)

• Family and home care not

considered “proper work”

2 Safety concerns

• External dangers (sexual harassment, etc.)

• “Internal dangers”

Drills and physical punishment

Insufficiently trained staff (first-aid)

Emotional or sexual exploitation

Poor equipment and infrastructure

Understanding and overcoming barriers

3 Material, infrastructural and

technical barriers

Understanding and overcoming barriers

3 Material, infrastructural and

technical barriers

SAD project in

Bam (Iran)

4 Lack of female role models

• Restricted “male-dominated territories” like

sport, business, politics, science, etc.

• Limited media access

Understanding and overcoming barriers

1. Socio-economic barriers

2. Safety concerns

3. Material, infrastructural and

technical barriers

4. Lack of female role models

5. Socio-cultural barriers

Understanding and overcoming barriers

5 Socio-cultural barriers

- Challenging norms = safety concern

(sanctions)

- Ideals of masculinity and femininity

Understanding and overcoming barriers

What sex do those objects have??

Gender neutrality of all sports

MALE OR FEMALE ??

Gender neutrality of all sports

Masculinity

“being a real

boy or man”

Socio-cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity

Femininity

“being a real

girl or woman”

“being a real

boy or man”

“being a successful

sportwoman”

“being a

woman”

“being a

sportswoman”

Socio-cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity

Mechanisms to defend traditional

„territories of masculinity“

Preventing females from entering

“male domains” such as…

Sport Cycling

Science

Army

Politics

- Scientific / rational evidence

- Formal rules and restrictions

=> Irrational arguments and

„punches below the belt“

(homophobia, sexism, racism, etc.)

- Moral / ethical arguments

EXAMPLE FROM

SOUTHERN AFRICA

(Sept. 2008)

Picture monitoring

Topic = Female participation

MALAWI, Blantyre

Makata Primary School, Ndirande

Average number of participants for

one sport session:

2‘130 children

1. Gender neutrality of all sports

2. Claiming space

3. Types of sport

4. Participatory and holistic approach, communication and analysis (assume nothing!)

5. Didactical considerations

6. Sensible role modelling

Recommendations

2. Claiming space (visibility)

Recommendations

3. Types of sport

• Taking gradual steps

• Parameters of adequate sport activities:

• Level of physical contact

• Mixed or single-sex lessons

• Individuality / Collectivity

• Game / Non-Game

• Psychosocial needs

• Type of disaster / conflict

• Etc.

Recommendations

4. Holistic approach

• Identifying “gatekeepers”

• Including males, community, schools,…

(manipulation, “sheltered realities”)

Recommendations

Complexity of measuring social

change / development

1 Problem analysis / needs assessment

2 Stakeholder / context analysis

3 Setting aims and objectives

4 Setting performance indicators

5 Planning activities / resources

6 Risk analysis / assumptions

Deliver work / implementation

data analysis

Reporting

Importance of participatory

approach (all stakeholders)

Main stakeholders…

- Implementing organisation / agency (staff)

- Coaches / volunteers

- Participants

… but many other partnerships are valuable:

• Donor organisation(s)

• Municipality

• Family

• Government

• School

• Peer Groups

• Other NGOs

• Church

• Radio channel

• Local newspaper

• Etc.

How to identify main stakeholders:

a) Which agencies, organisations, groups

and individuals will influence / be

influenced by the project, directly or

indirectly?

Definition of their roles in relation to

each other.

b) Who has a significant interest in

success or failure of a project?

Stakeholder analysis

Examples of Stakeholder analysis: Zambia and Colombia

1. Gender neutrality of all sports

2. Claiming space

3. Types of sport

4. Participatory and holistic approach, communication and analysis (assume nothing!)

5. Didactical considerations

6. Sensible role modelling

Recommendations

5. Didactical considerations

• Eye-opening effects (e.g. mixed groups)

• Participation vs. competition

Recommendations

6. Sensible role modelling

• Knowing needs/interests of target group

• Identifying adequate and authentic

role models (conscious use)

• Raising awareness with regard to

responsibilities

Recommendations

Thank you !!

Marianne Meier

- Technical University Munich (TUM)

- Swiss Academy for Development (SAD)

Websites: www.sad.ch / www.tum.de

Platform: www.sportanddev.org