Many selections joined the movement driven by Megan Rapinoe’s teammates and took action against their federation before the start of the World Cup to discuss bonuses and the lack of infrastructure.
Spain, England, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa or even Jamaica … Before this World Cup, which kicked off on Thursday July 20, with two victories for co-hosts New Zealand and Australia, many selections came into conflict with their federation. The goal? Demand better conditions to evolve at the highest level, while the payment of bonuses guaranteed by FIFA is at the heart of many imbroglios.
For Béatrice Barbusse, sociologist, author of the book “Sexism in sport” republished in 2022, and deputy vice-president of the French handball federation, this globally observed movement shows that the football played by women is committed “in the right way” towards equality but “it will take many more years for results to really be seen”.
franceinfo: sport: How to explain that this wave of mobilization of women’s selections around the world is only happening now?
Beatrice Barbusse: “Tout simplement parce que le contexte social ne s’y prêtait pas il y a quelques années. Tant que les revendications féministes n’avaient pas totalement émergé dans la société, il ne pouvait rien se passer dans le sport. Aujourd’hui, on pousse pour l’égalité dans les rapports hommes-femmes. Le milieu sportif féminin commence à en voir les effets et à prendre de l’importance, avec toujours ce petit temps de retard qui le caractérise. D’autant plus dans le football, qui est un sport où les choses vont moins vite que dans les autres.”
How can this backwardness of football over other disciplines be explained?
B.B: “It is a historically sexist sport, the practice of which was notably forbidden to women in France (Vichy banned it in 1941 and it was not until 1970 that the FFF again recognized the football practiced by women). We are starting from much further than in handball or basketball. they are not there to claim. Take the example of Amel Majri and his baby in selection, it is something that we have seen for 20 years in handball.
“The players, the sportswomen in general, must act together. As long as the women in the sporting world do not stand up collectively, we will not succeed.”
Béatrice Barbusse, sociologist and author of the book “Du sexisme dans le sport”franceinfo: sports
In 2022, the American selection obtained guarantees at the level of premiums. To what extent has this precedent enabled other nations to join the protest movement?
B.B: “We needed real politicized personalities, who do not only have a sporting approach, like Megan Rapinoe or Alex Morgan. Their repertoires of action are not the same. In the United States, the girls have, for example, joined forces to file a complaint against their federation. They master the practices of the feminists of yesteryear, it is by this that they gave legitimacy to other players to claim.
At one point, some said to themselves: “but wait, there are others who are demanding more over there and why shouldn’t we do it?” In the same way, I think playing with Ada Hegerberg in Lyon influenced Wendie Renard’s choice to step back (the Norwegian boycotted the 2019 World Cup to protest against the conditions reserved for women’s football).
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In a recent interview with GuardianAda Hegerberg felt that “Things wouldn’t change without players stepping up.” Are positive developments for the development of football practiced by women not possible otherwise, in your opinion?
B.B: “I join her at 200% and I even say that the players must, sports in general, act together. As long as women in the sporting environment will not get up collectively, we will not succeed. The issues are common to all the disciplines of female sport: the means to train, behaviors, moral or sexual violence suffered … In addition, it is so much more comfortable on the psychological level than individuals. “
Despite the establishment of bonuses for all female players by FIFA, several selections have regretted that the amount does not equal that allocated to men. Can we be satisfied with small advances when campaigning for equality?
B.B: “We are right to be satisfied when we have these advances, even if they are minor. But there is no reason to rejoice because the road is still long. Equal pay between men and women, we know very well that it is not possible today in football. But, when we claim something, it is not a question of being realistic, but rather of inscribing this idea of equality in the collective imagination and on the political agenda.
If the first suffragettes hadn’t made a mess, they would never have obtained the right to vote… Clearly, women’s football is on the right track towards equality. But it’s not because it’s on the right track that everything will change overnight. It will take years for real results to be seen.”