Women In The Olympics: Exploring The Gender Divide Through Pics And Data

When the Olympic games began, women had no role or participation. Over the years, that has changed and the evolution can be traced through pictures and data. 

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“The Olympic games must be reserved for men,” said Pierre de Coubertin, the Father of the Modern Olympic games.

The concept of the Olympics originated from the ancient Olympic Games, held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin established the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The inaugural edition of the modern Games was held in Athens in 1896.greece olympics

When the Olympic Games began, women were not allowed to participate or have any role in them.first olympics

Over the years, we traced the evolution of women’s participation in the games and tried to decode where women stand in the Indian context. We also look at the data to understand whether there exists a gender gap in the present day.

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Pierre de Coubertin’s Views on Women’s Participation in the Olympic Games

Coubertin is celebrated for uniting nations through sport and founding the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, his perspective on women’s participation in sports is less known.

Coubertin wrote that the games were for the “solemn and periodic exaltation of male athleticism” and had “female applause as a reward.”pierre coubertin

“An Olympiad with females would be impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and improper,” he added.

He also wrote, "No matter how toughened a sportswoman may be, her organism is not cut out to sustain certain shocks.”

Women Get Introduced to the Olympic Games

The first Olympics was held in 1896 with no women participants

However, a Greek woman Stamati Revithi, initially denied entry to the marathon, decided to run the race on her own the next day. She completed the final lap outside the stadium as officials denied her entry. Unable to recall her name, officials referred to her as Melpomene, after the Greek muse of tragedy. It would take approximately a century before women were permitted to compete in an Olympic marathon, which finally happened in Los Angeles in 1984.

Things got marginally better in 1900, overall for women. Restricted to sports which could suit their 'feminine' capacities - tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism and golf - 22 women out of 997 athletes took part in the 1900 Paris Olympics, making up only a meagre 2.2%.women at olympics

women at olympics A century later, ‘gender equality’ remains a goal, yet to become a complete reality. However, the proportion of women in the Olympics has become significantly better.

The International Olympic Committee added 18 new events to the Tokyo Games to promote gender equity.women at olympics over the years

The Paris 2024 Olympic Committee emphasises the importance of women’s participation in sports, stating, “If it were not for activist, assertive, ambitious, and talented women, we would be deprived of half the joy that the most beautiful emotions of sport bring us.' With these words, the committee underscores the ongoing struggle women have faced and continue to face in legitimising their presence in sports.”

The 23rd modern Olympic Games in 2024 will mark a historic milestone as the first to guarantee gender equality. This commitment ensures equal representation of men and women among the athletes.

India at Olympics

India first participated in the Olympic Games in 1900 with one male athlete. In 1920, it sent its first team to the games.

As described by the Tata group in this tweet, in 1920, Sir Dorabji Tata sponsored the first Indian squad for the Antwerp Olympics.

In 1952, over 50 years later, four women accompanied 60 men to the Helsinki Olympics.

On July 21, 1952, at only 17, Nilima Ghose officially became the first Indian woman to participate in the Olympics when she ran the first heat race of the women’s 100 metres. Accompanying Ghose at the Games was another sprinter Mary D’Souza Sequeira, who competed in the women’s 100 metres and 200 metres events.

marynilimaAs the decades passed Indian women have been creating their history at the Olympics.

At the Sydney 2000 Games, Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the women’s weightlifting category, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.karnam

Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom followed it up with bronze in badminton and boxing, respectively, at the 2012 London Olympics.saina nehwal

mary kom

Indian women were the only medal winners for the nation at the Rio 2016 Olympics, with PV Sindhu winning a silver medal in badminton and Sakshi Malik claiming the bronze in wrestling.

pv sindhu

In 2020, 56 female athletes went to the Tokyo Olympics, making it the country's largest-ever female contingent at the Summer Games. Out of the 127 athletes selected, 71 were male and 56 were female, with women stealing the show on many accounts.

Mirabai Chanu, PV Sindhu, the women’s hockey team, and Lovlina Borgohain made headlines.

Women Stealing the Show and Sparking Hope for Others

On many occasions, women not only made headlines for all the right reasons, but championed the cause for other women. They also serve as inspiration for many.

Maternity Clauses

Allyson Felix, renowned as one of the most accomplished track and field athletes in history, boasts an impressive record of six Olympic gold medals and three silver medals. Following a disagreement with her previous sponsor regarding maternity policies, she collaborated with her current sponsor, Athleta, to establish a fund to support female athletes who are mothers. In a heartwarming initiative, six athletes competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics received $10,000 each from this fund to help cover childcare expenses.allyson felix

Fairies and Gymnastics

Pranati Nayak was eight-years-old when she faced rejection by a coach who deemed her too thin. In 2020, at the age of 26, she became India's sole female gymnast at the Tokyo Games and only the second woman ever to represent India in Olympic gymnastics. A tattoo of a fairy on her right ankle symbolises her aspirations.pranati nayak

Juggling Many Roles

Despite the challenge of caring for newborn twins and moving from the 51 kg weight category to her usual 46-48 kg category, Mary Kom persisted and made history as the first Indian female boxer to win an Olympic medal, securing bronze in the 2012 Olympic games. Now a member of parliament, Mary Kom has also established a foundation dedicated to nurturing and cultivating talent in boxing.

Starting Small, Going Big

From practising with bamboo sticks to training in Italy, the Bhavani Devi’s journey has been remarkable. She became the first Indian to qualify for the Olympics in fencing, competing in the 2020 Tokyo Games.bhavani devi

Deepika Kumari’s story is also similar. She started practising at the age of 12 using homemade equipment, with mangoes serving as her targets. She was India’s sole representative in women’s archery at the 2020 Olympic Games.deepika kumari

Women now are on equal footing with men and one can hope that in the 21st century, women entering sports will never again be considered too frail for any sport.

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