Equality for Women?

0 views

Skip to first unread message

runnersweb

unread,

Feb 11, 2007, 9:00:18 PM2/11/07

to Emilie's Run 5K

The development of women's distance running has often been warped and
restricted by the largely male athletics establishment. Unfortunately
women accepted, and even on occasion, colluded and embraced these
restrictions. As a result generations of women were denied their
chance of greatness, their potential remaining under-developed and
unknown.

In the First World War women had been required to undertake much of
the work which had previously been the province of men. Having been
allowed to escape from the previous restrictions of female life, women
now wanted to take part in other areas of life which had formerly been
a male preserve. Thus it was that women's amateur athletics began to
develop in Europe. In 1919, the Federation Feminine Sportive de France
asked the International Olympic Committee to include women's events in
the Olympic Games but the idea was rejected. This spurred the women's
movement to create their own Women's Games.

The first true international meeting for women was conducted at Monte
Carlo in 1921. Five countries were represented in eleven events and it
was such a success that the Games were repeated the following year
with an increase in the number of athletes, teams and events.

By this stage the Federation Sportive Feminine Internationale [FSFI]
had been formed by women from six countries and had developed
regulations for the conduct of women's events. The first Women's
Olympic Games was held in Paris and five countries fielded teams.
Eighteen world records were broken during the Games and it was decided
to hold the next Olympiad for women in 1926.

By the time the second women's games were held the International
Olympic Committee and the International Amateur Athletic Federation
[IAAF] had forced a name change. However the Women's World Games in
Gothenburg were even more successful than the first.

Realising that they could not ignore women any longer, and wishing to
have control of this new, highly successful movement, the IAAF had
voted to include women's events in the 1928 Olympic Games. The vote
was passed 12-5.