Uniform standards in sports have a long history of being divisive and gendered. In recent years, there has been a collective push for change, coming from women athletes including gymnasts, badminton players, and tennis stars.
In a new development, the International Handball Federation (IHF) has changed their uniform policy for female players. Women will now be allowed to wear bike shorts and tank tops, replacing a previous ruling of bikini bottoms and crop tops.
In October, the IHF changed its rules so that women and men can both wear tank tops, and shorts that can reach a maximum of the mid-thigh. The tank top regulations are still skewed, however: women must wear "body fit" tank tops — unlike men — and "short tight pants". The new uniform rules will come into force from Jan. 1, 2022.
The move comes after the European Handball Federation (EHF) imposed a fine of €1500 ($1,775) on the Norwegian women's beach handball team in July, who wore shorts the European Beach Handball Championships as the men's team did, instead of the mandatory bikini bottoms. The EHF deemed these shorts "improper". The backlash spread quickly, with pop star Pink taking on the cause and even offering to pay the fines.
The EHF eventually paid the aforementioned fine, stating that they donated the money to an unnamed sports foundation that advocates for equality.
"We are very much aware of the attention the topic has received over the past days, and while changes cannot happen overnight, we are fully committed that something good comes out of this situation right now which is why the EHF has donated the fine for a good cause promoting equality in sports," the organization stated.
Seemingly, the EHF has not outlined uniform changes in their rules and regulations. The official handbook currently provides rules for colours and advertising on the uniform kits of players.
Pressure mounted in the handball community, with players calling these restrictions on uniform sexist. Sports ministers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland wrote a letter to the IHF, encouraging an update to the dress code and to discriminatory policies.
In July, a campaign was launched by Norway-based activist Talitha Stone, in conjunction with gender equality group Collective Shout, calling on the handball committee to "Let them wear shorts!" Her petition garnered over 61,000 signatures.
On the campaign page, Stone is quoted saying, "Why should female athletes be punished for wearing an outfit which is functional and practical allowing freedom of movement without being worried about possible exposure to a big audience as well as unwanted comments and sexual harassment?"
It's a step forward in the fight against sexist uniforms, one of many which have seen women athletes pushing the boundaries of what they're expected to wear when competing. Here are seven more instances of women throwing their uniforms out and wearing what they wanted to wear.