Forthcoming Spring 2025; Reaktion Books

Sheree Bekker (Bath) and Stephen Mumford (Durham)

This book advocates for a feminist perspective on sport, challenging conventional wisdom about the inferiority of women's athleticism. We discuss how the differences between men and women are socially engineered, in sports and beyond, and delve into the historical creation of women's sport as a category separate from (men’s) sport. In doing so we critique this as a patriarchal development, rather than a feminist win. We next explain how patriarchy controls women’s athleticism via the women’s sport category, through mechanisms such as sex testing. We are against this harmful regulation of women in sport and thus argue that her participation remains a radical act with political and social significance.

Ultimately, we dare to re-imagine a sports world divided not into Sport and Women’s Sport, but rather a landscape where Feminist Sport reigns - embodying an inclusive and equitable approach that transcends traditional gender norms, fostering an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can participate and thrive. The book underscores the importance of addressing both formal and informal social, political, and cultural barriers to women's and gender-expansive people’s sports participation.

What is the evidence for excluding trans women from women’s sport? This project critically appraises the original research often cited to uphold claims of advantage.