Open Play

A thought-provoking manifesto arguing for the end of gender segregation in athletics. Sheree Bekker and Stephen Mumford argue that the category of “women’s sports” is not the feminist win some would have you believe. Instead, the segregation of women in sports is just one of the many ways in which women are told to expect less from society. Women had to fight to be included in sports in the first place, and are now only included under far less favorable terms than those enjoyed by men. There are better ways to ensure safety and fairness, the authors make clear, than segregation by gender. And this matters deeply: ending gender segregation would encourage a more equitable distribution of resources, increase women’s participation in sports, and challenge outdated, sexist myths about women and their bodies.