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The International Handball Federation is facing backlash and scrutiny after fining the Norwegian Women's Beach Handball Team for breaking a rule that states women in the sport must wear bikini bottoms.
The European branch of the Federation issued fines of €150 ($177) per player for "improper clothing" after reminding the team the rules surrounding attire state women must wear bikini bottoms "with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg."
The women wore shorts instead.
Today in misogyny in sports:\n\nThe Norwegian women's handball team wanted to protest the rule saying women *must* wear bikini bottoms in beach handball.\n\nThe organizers of #BeachEuro2021 say they will be disqualified if they do.\n\nWhat they wear today vs. what they want to wear:pic.twitter.com/sPLiW39Zn3— Maren Hald Bj\u00f8rgum (@Maren Hald Bj\u00f8rgum) 1626175818
The Norwegian Women\u2019s Beach Handball team is facing fines for wanting to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms. The bottoms are not to cover \u201cmore than 10cm on any sides.\u201d\n\nThe men\u2019s team wears shorts.\n\nThe sexualization of women athletes must stop.https://www.insider.com/norwegian-handball-team-fined-wearing-shorts-instead-bikini-uniform-2021-7\u00a0\u2026— Billie Jean King (@Billie Jean King) 1626823840
The Norwegian beach volleyball girls wanted to play in these shorts instead of in bikini bottoms which they found too revealing but were threatened by the EC tournament organizer with fines if they wore anything covering more than 10cm of their buttspic.twitter.com/LHSxXz91CM— Tradia (@Tradia) 1626379655
kind of incredible to see the difference in the uniforms for the Norwegian men and women's beach handball teams (as required, inexplicably, by the International Handball Federation) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/sports/norway-beach-handball-team.html\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/Wkyh6W9Xb0— Natasha Frost (@Natasha Frost) 1626833991
Good morning to everyone - except for the people trying to force the Norwegian Women\u2019s Handball team to compete in bikini bottoms vs. shorts.— GOALS | Women\u2019s Sports (@GOALS | Women\u2019s Sports) 1626610861
Norway originally asked the European Handball Federation for permission to wear the shorts but were told they would be disqualified or fined if they did. In response, they chose to wear the shorts as a statement against the misogynistic rule.
Norwegian Handball Federation President Kåre Geir Lio has said that the national branch of the Federation will pay the fine on behalf of the girls.
"Women should have the right to have a uniform they think is suitable for performing in their sport," he said.
UPDATE: the women demonstratively wore shorts to their bronze final match against Spain in spite of the rules and the Norwegian handball federation has said it will pay the fine for the girls. Hopefully the IHF won't make real of their previous threats to disqualify them.pic.twitter.com/WLlMjTQSv8— Tradia (@Tradia) 1626619624
This is outrageous--can we have women in charge now? please?https://twitter.com/SYSCAbout/status/1417330932931915784\u00a0\u2026— Kim Connolly (@Kim Connolly) 1626878073
The International Handball Federation is clearly misogynist.https://twitter.com/SYSCAbout/status/1417330932931915784\u00a0\u2026— KT Staymasked Getvaccinated (@KT Staymasked Getvaccinated) 1626878070
Does this finally mean we(as a society) are finally realizing people should be able to wear what they want.https://twitter.com/syscabout/status/1417330932931915784\u00a0\u2026— Tara Dye she/her (@Tara Dye she/her) 1626874265
Norway\u2019s Women\u2019s Beach handball team just took a stand for women across the world by refusing to play in bikini bottoms, which is mandated by the sport\u2019s sexist, outdated rules. This is the Norwegian Men and Women\u2019s team? See the difference?pic.twitter.com/GW4U9KDYUW— Rosa Lei Steinard. (@Rosa Lei Steinard.) 1626867409
The Norwegian Federation also took a stand on social media where they stood behind the women's team.
"We ... stand behind you and support you...Together we will continue to fight to change the international regulations for clothing, so that players can play in the clothes they are comfortable with!"
The male-dominated European Handball Federation has fined the Norwegian women\u2019s team for wearing shorts instead of briefs.\n\nPatriarchy is alive and well in 2021!pic.twitter.com/slPxLdYUtZ— Glenn tweets again \ud83c\udf39\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc9a\ud83c\udf39 #FBPE #FBPPR (@Glenn tweets again \ud83c\udf39\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\udc9a\ud83c\udf39 #FBPE #FBPPR) 1626886572
What damn century is this????????\n\n"While male players are allowed to play in tank tops and shorts, women are required to wear bikini bottoms 'with a close fit and cut on an upward angle.'"https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/norwegian-womens-beach-handball-team-fined-for-not-playing-in-bikinis/3164968/\u00a0\u2026— Peter Daou (@Peter Daou) 1626863562
This appears to be a rather blatantly sexist thing. I doubt the people that claim sexism / misogyny has been fixed or that it never existed for 'white women' will acknowledge this.\n\nAlso why bikini bottoms? This is more evidence of 'the male gaze.'https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/norwegian-women-s-beach-handball-team-fined-not-playing-bikinis-n1274453\u00a0\u2026— Nom De Net (@Nom De Net) 1626882685
Very much supporting the #Norwegian handball team who refused to wear ridiculous sexist uniform! Fight for gender equality is ongoing!pic.twitter.com/nbmOBsr10X— Inna Sovsun (@Inna Sovsun) 1626885805
It's (almost) easy to brush off the headline about the Norwegian women's handball team being fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms until you see this photo.\n\nThe blatant sexism is nauseating.https://twitter.com/cogscimom/status/1417582965110894594\u00a0\u2026— Jandra Sutton (@Jandra Sutton) 1626884776
The International Handball Federation's spokesperson, Jessica Rockstroh, told the New York Timesthat the reason for the rule was unknown, and that the organization would be "looking into it internally."