Sports minister - "Women should try cheerleading and ballet"

BerryH

Women who feel "unfeminine" when playing sport could take up other activities like "ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading and even roller-skating", the minister of sports, equalities and tourism Helen Grant has suggested. She said that the key to increasing female participation in sport was to give women "what they want".

Grant said there was a lot of work to be done before the public placed female sports stars on an equal footing with their male counterparts. But she said she hoped that the Sochi Winter Games, at which all of Team GB's medals thus far have been won by women, would help.

"It's having a good spread on offer. For example some girls may well not like doing very traditional hockey, tennis or athletics, others might, so for those who don't want to, how about considering maybe gym, ballet, cheerleading? It's not just schools, it's clubs, it's being innovative. Actually looking at our women and our girls and asking, what do they want?" she said.

In an interview with the Telegraph, she added: "You don't have to feel unfeminine … There are some wonderful sports which you can do and perform to a very high level and I think those participating look absolutely radiant and very feminine such as ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading and even roller-skating."

Grant said that the England women's cricket team's succes in their recent Ashes tour – in stark contrast to the men's travails – was seen by very few people. "Unfortunately there hasn't been the amount of media coverage we need if we're going to close this gender gap."

She said: "I think let's see how it goes and to be fair to broadcasters they're looking at it and getting better. You have to give it the chance don't you. Let's see how we do at the Olympics."

But she faced criticism from gender equality campaigners, who said she should not suggest that the "only way for women to get involved in sports is to be girlie and feminine".

Laura Bates of the Everyday Sexism project said: "It's actually discouraging for a minister to say this. With our great athletes performing fantastically at the Olympics, we still see media outlets focusing on the looks and femininity, which the comments seem to do too." The athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, who won gold at the London 2012 Olympics, has previously spoken about having to forget about looking feminine in her teens.

She told the Telegraph: "When you get to 13 or 14 sport is not the thing girls want to do, there are other things happening. Girls in my year didn't want to get hot and sweaty. It didn't appeal to them. It is still the case now but it is changing more and more."

Bianca London, a former cheerleader, said that the sport was not for shrinking violets: "I witnessed legs popping out of their sockets, numerous people passing out through stress and broken arms – it really is that hard-core and there wasn't a pair of pom-poms in sight," she told the paper.

Grant admitted that, while the gender gap has closed from 2.2 million recently to 1.8 million, there was "still a pretty big difference".

"I think we ultimately need a behavioural change. I think we need to get to the point where women's sport is looked on and regarded as equal to the men's game. When we get to that point that's when we get the balanced coverage.

"To get to that point, we need certainly the media to do more, we need more finance, more businesses getting involved through sponsorship and we needs sports governing bodies and others and schools to be very innovative with ways to get our girls involved.

She said that it would be important to consult women on what would help them get into sport; "that can be whether it's a Zumba class or a game of rounders after they've dropped the kids off. That's the approach we need to take – what works for them.

"We're looking at this particular location and trying to understand about local woman, their lifestyles, and what motivates them to getting into sport," she told the paper.

She added: "There's no point putting a sports class on if you know many of the women won't be able to attend because they won't be able to pray. It's looking at everyone's circumstances and trying to find something that lets them deal with the barriers and hurdles and let them participate."

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/21/women-cheerleading-ballet-sports-helen-grant

:noway:

Of_Monsters_and_Meat

Really you can make anything into a fun activity. Then than fun activity will be a sport.

ladies.

Monty_P

I don't know, I kind of see where she's coming from.

BendySpartan

Hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I actually did gymnastic, dance and trampolining at school, not because they are girlie because I liked tham and they suit my flexibility. They might look girly but man you need to be strong. I think making statements like that is pretty damaging. I encourage my 5 year old to do what she wants not what she should do. Yoou can play rugby and still be feminine off the pitch if you choose. I really do not think that is what is stopping girls stay with sports. We need, as a nation to cahnge our attitude towards exercice. It is far to often thought of as a chore (and I include myself in this as well) rather than a normal part of life.
Another danger is it is all well and good to be a gymnast at 16 but not so easy (no just physically but practically finding a gym that does adult sessions) when you hit 40!

lwoodroff

what, precisely, is 'unfeminine' about sports? sweat? your makeup running?

grr

MrsMigginsPieShoppe

Of course, all the sports that you can wear something pretty and sparkly:grumble:( ermm..and is cheerleading that popular in this country or am I out of the loop? )

farway

Does mud wrestling count?

hoyalawya2003

I don't know, I kind of see where she's coming from.

I am probably one of the most raging feminists on this site, but I think what she said is being taken out of context. Her point is to encourage women who don't currently exercise/do sports, and saying that those women should try things like ballet and zumba rather than sitting on the couch. If in fact such women are discouraged from exercise/sports due to not seeing them as feminine, maybe she has a point. However, I am not entirely convinced that this underlying hypothesis is correct, and would have to know more about the context--what she is basing this on, what audience she is speaking to, etc.

maab_connor

you would THINK that the minister of SPORT would understand that the sports of cheerleading, ballet and gymnastics require heavy lifting and working while bleeding and broken.

I have known dancers who work w/ blood pooling in their shoes. Cheerleaders who keep going in a routine after being dropped/kicked/punched and walk away looking like they're coming from a mosh pit. I know a gymnast whose parents had protective services called b/c she had broken LITERALLY every bone in her body within 3 years.

while I understand what the minister was trying to say, and I understand that her baseline meaning is "female teenagers are not getting involved in sports at the rate of their male counterparts and we need to change that to be a healthier nation" I think that the words she is using are detrimental to having dance, cheerleading & gymnastics seen as the sports they are.

b/c I think that most ppl are going to read her words and see "women don't like sports so they should try this instead. it's not REALLY a sport". when YES IT IS

adorable_aly

So people have taken what she said out of context... If you read the whole extract it's pretty clear what she is saying is that young women should be encouraged to do activities that they will enjoy regardless of whether it's traditional sport or activities seen as 'girly' like cheerleading!

BerryH

So people have taken what she said out of context... If you read the whole extract it's pretty clear what she is saying is that young women should be encouraged to do activities that they will enjoy regardless of whether it's traditional sport or activities seen as 'girly' like cheerleading!

Yes, but she does somewhat ruin it by choosing words such as: "There are some wonderful sports which you can do and perform to a very high level and I think those participating look absolutely radiant and very feminine such as ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading and even roller-skating."

While I don't think looking "feminine and radiant" is most active women's main goal, most would agree it is no detriment to their femininity if they instead choose to lift Ms Grant's bodyweight over their head, score a rugby try, or cross the line of an Iron Man triathlon after nine hours without deodorant or lipgloss.

eldamiano

Helen Grant is a muppet, she really is. She spends more time banging on about sexual inequality in sport and other moral high ground attention seeking issues more than the sport itself.

She speaks up for positive discrimination in sport. Why aren't women footballers paid the same as men? Answer - the men's game generates billions and the players are the protagonists. The womens game regularly attracts attendances less than 1,000 even for the top games. It is patronising to the extreme that she thinks that women need some kind of cheerleader to try and force the issue of people wanting to watch women play sport. It should be done so on it's own merit.

Women in other areas get paid and treated more favourably in other industries than men, but where is she commenting on this (she might be sports minister but she waffles on about inequality, not sport). Surely it's unfair that female supermodels are generally paid so much more than their male counterparts, that Loose Women has come up with substantially more sexist comments than Andy Gray and Richard Keys....... i could go on.

eldamiano

[
I am probably one of the most raging feminists on this site, but I think what she said is being taken out of context. Her point is to encourage women who don't currently exercise/do sports, and saying that those women should try things like ballet and zumba rather than sitting on the couch.

But why specifically women when there are men who dont exercise and do sport also?

miriyummy

I don't know, I kind of see where she's coming from.

I am probably one of the most raging feminists on this site, but I think what she said is being taken out of context. Her point is to encourage women who don't currently exercise/do sports, and saying that those women should try things like ballet and zumba rather than sitting on the couch. If in fact such women are discouraged from exercise/sports due to not seeing them as feminine, maybe she has a point. However, I am not entirely convinced that this underlying hypothesis is correct, and would have to know more about the context--what she is basing this on, what audience she is speaking to, etc.

I think I see your point. Some people shy away from activities that they see as intimidating. And zumba is less intimidating than Rugby.

geebusuk

In my experience, many young girls ARE more worried by being seen as 'feminine'.

We can ignore this and force them to get involved in sports they may not want to do and change who they are, or we can embrace what they want to be AND get that sort of person more active.

As it goes, sports like cheer leading require immense levels of fitness and skill at the top levels. Don't really see it much in the UK, but what they get up to in the US is impressive. It's also, to my mind, good that there's a sport that appeals to the pop clique.

likitisplit

And this is why there are pink half pound hand weights.

I get that she's saying is that programs aimed at getting women active should meet women where they are.

And I get that she's saying that media coverage of women's athletics is getting "better."

But I think there's a major problem in her point. If she said, "Do something fun for you, something that makes you feel good and fits your needs, whether it be Zumba, cheer leading, tennis, walking, roller skating or yoga." that would be one thing.

But what she's telling women "Do something that makes you LOOK good, like Zumba, cheer leading or roller skating. Appear feminine and radiant." And I have an issue with that.

cwolfman13

There's a Minister of Sport?

eldamiano

There's a Minister of Sport?

No. Just like Ronald McDonald, it is just someone dressed up pretending to be one.

BerryH

cafeaulait7

Ballet is badass. Just sayin'

It's OK for young girls to want to do something pretty, I think. I did. I also did gymnastics and fought with the neighborhood boys every afternoon (unless a recital was coming up; then I wasn't allowed in case I broke something). I didn't know fighting was a sport for girls -- more like a hobby I'd totally do co-ed wrestling or MMA as a hypothetical kid nowadays, but I'd still do ballet and gymnastics too.

It's OK if it is performance-based. That's another element of competition for those of us who like the physical challenge but don't like the live action of team sports so much. I'm kind of a loner with my physical stuff. The performance-based sports are really great for loners, both male and female, imho. And it fits perfectionists really well. Yes, it looks good, but that's just part of the perfection/goals for training, I think.

geebusuk

Ballet is badass. Just sayin'

Indeed.

MrsG31

I don't know, I kind of see where she's coming from.

I am probably one of the most raging feminists on this site, but I think what she said is being taken out of context. Her point is to encourage women who don't currently exercise/do sports, and saying that those women should try things like ballet and zumba rather than sitting on the couch. If in fact such women are discouraged from exercise/sports due to not seeing them as feminine, maybe she has a point. However, I am not entirely convinced that this underlying hypothesis is correct, and would have to know more about the context--what she is basing this on, what audience she is speaking to, etc.

My thoughts exactly! As I was reading this, I was very confused. It seemed to start out saying that women who are not into sports should give some other activity that involves moving their arses a try. And there was some nice thoughts about getting women's professional sports more media overage. But then it got strange...saying girls at 13 or 14 don't want to get all hot and sweaty. Because that is how is was in "her year" and it is the same today. Definitely seems to be some lines crossed.

FromHereOnOut

I don't know, I kind of see where she's coming from.

I am probably one of the most raging feminists on this site, but I think what she said is being taken out of context. Her point is to encourage women who don't currently exercise/do sports, and saying that those women should try things like ballet and zumba rather than sitting on the couch. If in fact such women are discouraged from exercise/sports due to not seeing them as feminine, maybe she has a point. However, I am not entirely convinced that this underlying hypothesis is correct, and would have to know more about the context--what she is basing this on, what audience she is speaking to, etc.

My thoughts exactly! As I was reading this, I was very confused. It seemed to start out saying that women who are not into sports should give some other activity that involves moving their arses a try. And there was some nice thoughts about getting women's professional sports more media overage. But then it got strange...saying girls at 13 or 14 don't want to get all hot and sweaty. Because that is how is was in "her year" and it is the same today. Definitely seems to be some lines crossed.

That quote about "her year" was made by Jessica Ennis-Hill.

MrsG31

I don't know, I kind of see where she's coming from.

I am probably one of the most raging feminists on this site, but I think what she said is being taken out of context. Her point is to encourage women who don't currently exercise/do sports, and saying that those women should try things like ballet and zumba rather than sitting on the couch. If in fact such women are discouraged from exercise/sports due to not seeing them as feminine, maybe she has a point. However, I am not entirely convinced that this underlying hypothesis is correct, and would have to know more about the context--what she is basing this on, what audience she is speaking, etc.

My thoughts exactly! As I was reading this, I was very confused. It seemed to start out saying that women who are not into sports should give some other activity that involves moving their arses a try. And there was some nice thoughts about getting women's professional sports more media overage. But then it got strange...saying girls at 13 or 14 don't want to get all hot and sweaty. Because that is how is was in "her year" and it is the same today. Definitely seems to be some lines crossed.

That quote about "her year" was made by Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Oops, you're right. My bad. I guess by that point I was just skimming which is a bad habit, I know.

MichaelVRenner

...and this is where I say "Yes, dear. Of course, dear."