Constança VelosoDiscrimination in the world of sports, particularly within the realm of women’s sports, is a relevant and complex issue that warrants careful analysis. In sports, women often encounter various forms of discrimination, ranging from wage disparities to persistent gender stereotypes. This phenomenon can have significant impacts on the performance of female athletes, raising questions about fairness and equal opportunities.
“Various forms of racism, discrimination, and intolerance often find fertile ground in the world of sports, leading to verbal and physical violence (APCVD)”. However, focusing solely on women’s football, what types of discrimination have women experienced, and how does that affect their performance?
In this context, we spoke with a Benfica player, Amélia Silva, in an attempt to understand, what it’s like to be a woman playing football.
“Daily, weekly, we see many comments, whether on social media, sometimes even in television, in the media, we see comments that shouldn’t exist. I see many of my colleagues receiving sexist comments like ‘your place is in the kitchen’ and ‘you shouldn’t be a player.’ ” However, she emphasizes that social media is the space where most attacks occur, so she prefers not to go there on a match day: “In a game where we did not perform well, we know that there will be criticisms from the fans. It is important to try to avoid going on social media in that day to read our comments because if we do, they will get into our heads. If we don’t read them, it’s as if they don’t exist.”
Different genders, same sport
In addition, Amelia highlights the fact that sports are the same for both genders, and says that people usually differentiate between two distinct sports:”Despite being a physically distinct game from the men’s, as men and women are biologically different, women’s football may not be as intense, fast-paced, physical but the technical quality, individual skills are equal to that of men. People often tend to differentiate women’s football from men’s football. No. Football, period. Football is a sport, whether for women or men.”
Although the football player admits that this situation is improving in our society, she also says, ‘There is still a lot of prejudice, discrimination, and I believe we still have a long way to go”.
Zero Discrimination Day
Discrimination based on gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, HIV status, health status or sex work is a human rights violation. We must protect everyone’s rights to protect everyone’s health. #ZeroDiscrimination pic.twitter.com/MWk1JNWvZA
— UNAIDS (@UNAIDS) February 23, 2024
It is celebrated annually on March 1st by the United Nations, aims to raise awareness for the protection of the rights of all individuals, promoting non-discrimination based on various criteria, including gender, age, creed, sexual orientation, illness, disability, ethnicity, and/or nationality.
Amélia Silva’s experiences provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by female players in football, highlighting discrimination in women’s sports as a genuine concern deserving continuous attention. Her story underscores the importance of addressing this issue in line with the broader goals of Zero Discrimination Day. To delve deeper into the discrimination within Benfica’s professional football scene, check out this Reels.
Ver esta publicação no Instagram
