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Olympic canoes - no place for a woman?

By Jocelynne Scutt - posted Monday, 20 August 2012


Calls for a true commitment to and realisation of universalism are ongoing. On 12 August 2012 the Ligue du Droit International des Femmes and Coordination Francaise pour le Lobby Europeen des Femmes issued a 'List of Seven Demands' under the title 'London 2012: Justice for Women'. Before delivering the list to members of the Olympic Movement, the group staged a 'nautical burial ceremony' of the Olympic Charter, 'chucking it in the river Thames, because of its betrayal by the IOC'.

The coalition's demands include:

  • Parity in all sports and Olympic events;
  • Parity in the decision-making bodies beginning with the immediate application of at least 20 per cent women as determined by the IOC in 1996;
  • Same recognition to women as to men champions (beginning by the conferring of the Gold Medal on the female winner of the Marathon by the President of the IOC as well as to the male winner);
  • Exclusion of all male-only delegations and of countries forbidding women to freely play sport;
  • Exclusion of all delegations wearing political and/or religious symbols;
  • No more IOC support of the International segregated games for women organised by Teheran;
  • Combatting gender stereotypes and violence.
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Finally, says the communiqué, Justice for Women 'will be vigilant with regard to the election of the new IOC President to be elected in September 2013'.

Some may suggest exclusion of women from Olympic sports denoted 'for men only' is not discrimination or sexism, but simply a failure of the IOC to 'get around' to addressing the question. Yet this both avoids the reality that 'not getting around to' is itself an indicator of abject sexism and discrimination, and ignores the aeons of struggle by women to gain even a modicum of social, economic, cultural or political 'equality', including in sport, recreation and leisure. In any event, Samantha Rippington's court action is hardly her (or women canoeists) first step seeking change. How long are women to tolerate 'not getting around to' as an answer? Fortunately, some women, at least, refuse to accept such a risible contention as an excuse.

When, in the 1860s, Sophia Jex Blake and six other women sought the right to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh, they were told that as they were 'not persons' they had no right to be there at all, much less to study in the male medical realm. The English House of Lords said that as 'no woman had ever applied' previously, it was 'obvious' that no woman was supposed to be a university student. Yet the more obvious stumbling block was that if no woman was allowed to enter university, then there was no point in making application. Fortunately, women ignored the House of Lords.

Undeterred, women continued making application to university and for entry into trades and professions from which women were barred – not by men 'not getting around to it, yet', but by man-made rules either explicitly banning women, or interpreted by all-male judges as meaning 'person' denoted men-only. Every step of the way, every change has taken women such as Samantha Rippington standing up and speaking out, resisting the admonishment to stay still, lie down, and be silent. Fortunately for all women – not only canoeists, sportswomen, champions and prospective Olympians – Samantha Rippington is demanding a place, her place – and the place of her fellow canoeists – in the Olympic canoe. When she takes her first gold, let's hope that men, as well as women, have cheered her on.

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About the Author

Dr Jocelynne A. Scutt is a Barrister and Human Rights Lawyer in Mellbourne and Sydney. Her web site is here. She is also chair of Women Worldwide Advancing Freedom and Dignity.

She is also Visiting Fellow, Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge.

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Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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