What is Feminist Sport?
By Sheree Bekker (FSL and University of Bath)
Imagine a world not divided into Sport and Women’s Sport, but rather a landscape where Feminist Sport reigns—where gender/sex lines dissolve, creating an inclusive and equitable sporting environment that embraces diversity and fosters participation and excellence for everyone. This is the vision of the Feminist Sport Lab.
We challenge the outdated notion of women's athletic inferiority, promoting a broader, more inclusive understanding of what women and gender-expansive people can achieve in and through sport. The Feminist Sport Lab is thus leading a revolutionary shift in how we perceive and engage everyone’s participation.
Our mission rejects all forms of exclusion and regulation based on injustice, including through sexism, misogyny, transphobia, racism, classism, and ableism. Sport often mirrors and perpetuates these injustices. We aim to dismantle these barriers and create a sporting world where everyone, especially those marginalized by traditional gender norms, can thrive.
In this way, we believe in sport as a tool for social justice and liberation. We see sport as a feminist issue, ripe for challenging patriarchal structures and advocating for intersectional social justice. Our theoretical work deepens the understanding of sport and physicality as areas for feminist philosophy, while our empirical research provides data and insights to drive meaningful change. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, we aim to implement strategies that challenge and transform the status quo.
Our work is guided by the principles of intersectionality and liberation. We understand that issues of gender in sports cannot be divorced from other axes of identity, such as race, class, and ability. We advocate for policies that liberate those most marginalized, ensuring equal opportunities and recognition for all women, transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people at all levels of sport.
The ultimate goal of the Feminist Sport Lab is twofold: 1) to contribute to a feminist philosophy of sport and a philosophy of feminist sport, and 2) to implement changes that align with justice and liberation in and through sport. By collaborating with various stakeholders, we aim to transform the sporting world into a space where everyone can participate fully and equally, free from oppression. We strive to create a sporting environment that is not just inclusive but actively liberatory, where all individuals can express their true selves without fear of discrimination or exclusion.
The Feminist Sport Lab invites you to join us in this transformative journey. Together, we can build a sporting world that embodies the principles of Feminist Sport—where everyone, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to excel and thrive in a liberated and just environment. The Feminist Sport Lab is a catalyst for change, a beacon of hope for a more inclusive, equitable, and liberatory sporting future.
Join us in reimagining and reshaping the future of sport.