Vinutha Raju’s Post

🏅 Controversy Erupts Over Past Gender Eligibility Test Failures: Olympic Wins by Imane Khalif & Lin Yu Ting – Fair Play or Unfair Edge?🥊🔥 Imane Khalif and Lin Yu Ting have just secured Olympic medals, but their victories have ignited a heated debate. 🤔 Both athletes previously failed gender eligibility tests at the World Cup last year and were banned, yet they competed in the women’s division at the Olympics under a different governing body. Is this fair competition, or does it create an unfair advantage? 🏋️♀️🏋️♂️ As someone who’s sparred with men in kickboxing, I understand the difference in physical strength! 💪😅 Training is one thing, but when the goal is to WIN? 🥇 I fully support everyone living authentically, and I recognise that some athletes naturally produce more testosterone. But should sports where physical strength plays a critical role have different rules? 🤷♀️🤷♂️ What’s your opinion? Is this fair to the women who’ve dedicated their lives to achieving the ultimate prize? 🏆 Or should it be about competing based on identity? 🌍 👇 Join the discussion! Share your thoughts below! 👇 #Olympics #TransgenderAthletes #FairPlay #SportsDebate #UnfairAdvantage #AthleteLife #EqualityInSports #HaveYourSay

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬' 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢-𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐲 I am deeply pained when I read about Angela Carini's defeat in her recent fight against Imane Khalif at the ongoing Paris Olympics. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢; 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬. When policies are applied without thought, they can cause real harm. The fight between Carini and Khalif, a biological male, is a prime example. It’s clear to me that this is an injustice to Carini, and it’s unfair to the other athletes who will face Khalif in future rounds. As someone who cares deeply about sports and the Olympic movement, I believe leadership needs to step up. We need policies that make sense and are fair. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞; 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬. Our leaders must engage with everyone involved—athletes, medical experts, and the community—to find solutions that work for everyone. Think about it. The irony is immense, this has happened in #France, The country that gave us the values of #Liberty, #equality and #fraternity? The Olympic movement should reflect these values, ensuring that sports remain fair and inclusive. #SportsLeadership #FairCompetition #FemaleAthletes #OlympicValues #EqualityInSports #AthleteRights #AngelaCarini #SportsIntegrity #InclusionAndFairness #ProtectWomensSports #Paris2024

Everything heroic about the 2024 Olympics was delivered by women athletes. - Boxing gold medals in defiance of gender stereotypes - Gymnastic comeback queens - Bad-ass breakdancers - activists and artists - A sister-act of gold in the canoe And yet global sports advertising revenue and airtime tells us that athleticism, talent and skill of men is more valuable than women. The global sports industry is worth a staggering $403 Billion. Women's sport earns less than 1% of that amount - a disparity that perpetuates gender gaps in athlete pay and infrastructure resourcing. It’s easy to change all that. Step 1. Increase numbers of women in sports decision making & media; Step 2. Foster inter-sport collaboration between women. Advocate together; Step 3. Identify, cultivate and support men who share power with women; Step 4. Conduct gender audits of all sports - including revenue streams; Step 5. Set gender targets for all sports - including revenue streams. Time to stop short changing our sheroes. #makingequalityeasy #genderlensaustralia #womeninsports #parisolympic #australianwomen #olympics2024 #paris2024 #femaleathletes #womeninboxing #gymnastics #breakdancing #womensport #equalpay #genderequality #womeninleadership #raygun #jessfox #AussieOlympians

✨ 📻 Tempo, the para-sports show, brings positive life and sports stories about para-athletes every month. They monitor domestic and international competitions with a camera, in which Slovenians also compete for the top places. For more information, feel free to visit our website: https://lnkd.in/d25Hknji #csrforparasport Institut za društveno odgovorno poslovanje - The Croatian Institute for CSR Magyar Paralimpiai Csapat Paraolimpijac Šport invalidov Slovenský paralympijský výbor #csr #csr4parasport #parasport #inclusivity #inclusive #equality #integrity *Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessary reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The Paralympics: Why they are important and how they impact society https://lnkd.in/dqnHCSkp Download Economic Times App to stay updated with Business News - https://lnkd.in/eK4XZsX #DiversityandInclusion #Diversity #DiversityEquityandInclusion

Update: Transgender rights in the sports industry   US Transgender athlete Lia Thomas is taking legal action against World Aquatics for her ban from competing in women’s events.   In 2022, World Aquatics voted not to allow transgender female athletes to compete in women's elite races if they have experienced any part of the male puberty process. It is unclear when Lia Thomas transitioned however, she competed as a male in 2019. Before World Aquatics changed its rules, transgender women could compete as long as they lowered their testosterone levels.   Thomas is now looking to take her case to Switzerland to the Court of Arbitrations for Sport (CAS) to fight her ban. It is unclear whether CAS will agree to hear her case as first reported by the Daily Telegraph, she is currently not registered with US Swimming, the governing body for swimming within the US.   World Aquatics came to the decision for their policy on gender inclusion through extensive advice from leading medical and legal experts whilst ensuring communication with athletes. They are not the only sport to introduce these policies, cycling and athletics have also banned transgender athletes intending to "prioritise fairness and safety over inclusion". Integrity is a vital part of sport, and individuals such as Lord Coe, have stated that "the integrity of women's sport if we do not get this right...is very fragile".   If this is heard by CAS, the future of transgender athletes and inclusion in sports could be greatly affected.   The inclusion of transgender athletes in sports has been a much-discussed topic in the news and seems to still be unclear between different sports and their governing bodies. If transgender people like Lia can’t compete in either male or female sports, then where does that leave their career? https://lnkd.in/euHA5zHZ

Female Strong’s Golf Outing is fast approaching! We are seeking sponsorships for our 3rd annual outing, which will be held at Ravinia Green Country Club on May 20th. In the spirit of #WomensHistoryMonth, we’d also like to share important findings by women-owned golf apparel company KINONA around the gender bias in the sport on various levels: - In a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults over the age of 18, 58% of respondents recognized gender discrimination in golf, and 1 in 3 respondents had seen or experienced gender bias firsthand - 30% of official Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour events were broadcast in 2022 compared to 78% of PGA TOUR Events - 67% of respondents believe women are judged more on appearance than male golfers It’s clear that there is tons of improvement that needs to be made in order to reduce the bias and barriers women in golf face, and we know that one of the greatest ways to do that is by getting more women in the sport! Whether you’re new to golf, an advanced player, or just a Female Strong supporter, you belong on the course. Join us on May 20! View sponsorship opportunities and more information around this year’s outing here: https://lnkd.in/g3pWz--q Source: https://lnkd.in/gjCY3jQv

🚨 The Madness Continues… Imagine training your whole life, only to have your dreams crushed by someone who doesn’t belong in your race. 🏃♀️ Valentina Petrillo, an Italian sprinter, is making headlines at the Paralympics. But here's the kicker: until recently, Valentina competed as a man. Yes, you read that right—and quite successfully, by all accounts. Indeed, if my eyes aren't deceiving me, Valentina remains perfectly well intact in the tackle department. He recently told an interviewer that competing in the Olympics has been a dream since he was a "little girl." 🤯 Let that sink in… This is the same person who married a woman and fathered two children. Now, two things need to be said: 1️⃣ This individual needs help. We should offer support, but not at the expense of fairness. Competing against women in this way is not just wrong on all levels. I detest this individual for even thinking his actions are acceptable. 🤢 2️⃣ The sporting governing bodies are failing women. They have been ideologically captured, abandoning the principles of fairness and competition. For the love of sport, women, stand up and raise your voices! 🗣️ Join Martina, Sharon, and J.K. Rowling—the brave women calling out this insanity. 🛑 Together, you can stop these disgraceful men from ruining your sport. Stand up. Speak out. Take action. 💪 Women’s sports deserve better. #FairPlay #SaveWomensSports #StandUp

Paris 2024: A Contradiction in Values The recent Paris Olympics showcased France as a global stage for diversity and unity. However, a stark contradiction emerged with the ban on French athletes wearing #hijabs. While the International Olympic Committee – IOC has recognized the right of athletes to express their cultural and religious identities, France's stance stands in sharp contrast to these principles. The proposed "compromise" of allowing a cap instead of a hijab is a superficial attempt to address a fundamental issue of religious freedom and equality. It's essential to question why such restrictions are placed primarily on women, while male athletes face no such limitations in expressing their faith. This raises concerns about the underlying motivations and the impact on #Muslim women's participation in sports. We must foster a sporting environment that respects the rights and identities of all athletes, regardless of their background. #Paris2024 #hijab #sports #equality #inclusion #womensrights #diversity

Following last Thursday's post about Dove's Self-Esteem program for children and their Super Bowl commercial stating that 45% of girls quit sports by age 14 because of body image issues, I want to post a win for this incident that brings attention to the disparity of "acceptable clothing" for women versus men in team sports. In case you missed it, in the 2020 Olympics, the Norwegian Beach Handball team was fined for not wearing the regulation uniform for women. They wanted to wear shorts instead of required bikini bottoms in their match. This article in Women's Health Australia states: "While male players can wear shorts, rules state that 'female athletes must wear bikini bottoms' and that these must have a 'close fit,' be 'cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg,' and a side depth of no more than 10 centimetres." The singer Pink agreed to pay their fine of 1500 euros, encouraging the women to stand their ground. The move drew support from Billie Jean King who tweeted, "The sexualization of female athletes must stop." https://lnkd.in/diT9273J In the same Olympics, German women's gymnastic team broke convention by wearing a unitard instead of the usual high-cut suits. You can read more about both cases in this article: https://lnkd.in/er9zfCU7 It's hard to believe this issue needs to be faught in the 2020's. However, the response is positive, with officials vowing to change the rules to permit women to wear what makes them feel comfortable and secure. The ABC News article states: "That objectification has translated to the production of women's sports, said Bissell, who has done research across multiple Olympics on how female beach volleyball athletes are covered differently than their male counterparts. "With the female athletes, you would see just overt zooming in on body parts," Bissell said. "It's the same sport, so why are we covering it differently?" Another win for women finding their voices, speaking their truth, and leveling the playing field for those who wish to follow their dreams and live their purpose --- in sports or in any area of living! It's a discrepancy that hasn't gone unnoticed by Tokyo 2020 officials. This week, the head of broadcasting at the Tokyo Games said that coverage like close-ups on body parts will be a thing of the past, under the mantra, "Sport appeal, not sex appeal," The Associated Press reported.