By: Ms. J
Have you noticed throughout the World Cup, there is not one woman referee? Why is that? Are we good enough to referee our own matches but not for men? When will gender relations improve in the athletic world?
It is not only soccer/futbol; but also other sports as well, where women are barely making a dent in the demographics. Plenty of women are avid sports enthusiasts just as men, have the required education, experience and professionalism to take on a role such as referee or umpire. Take for example Pam Postema; who in 1988 officiated the spring training games and almost made it to the Major Leagues permanently. She was eventually denied the role of working in the major leagues and later sued the organization for sex discrimination.
There are a few women who have been able to break through the glass ceiling and enter the “Men’s Arena” such as Violet Palmer (NBA), Ria Cortesio (MLB), and Shannon Eastin (NFL). This change has begun recently and we hope that it would propel a shift in the way people think about women and sports.
Marta Vieira da Silva, five time world soccer player of the year in Brazil noted that FIFA should allow women to referee as well. “If a women is competent, I believe it does not matter if the team is male or female,” Marta said.” (ndtv).
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/03/women_in_black.html
http://newsone.com/2872723/violet-palmer-nba/
Rated S 