Open Play: The Case for Feminist Sport

Sheree Bekker and Stephen Mumford argue that the category of ‘women’s sport’ is not the feminist win some would have you believe. Instead, the segregation of women in sport is just one more way in which women are told to expect less from society. Women had to fight to be included in sport in the first place, and are now only included under far less favourable terms than those enjoyed by men. There are better and more accurate ways to ensure safety and fairness than segregation by gender. And this matters deeply: open play would encourage a more equitable distribution of resources, increase women’s participation in sport and challenge outdated, sexist myths about women and their bodies.

About the Author :
Sheree Bekker (Author) Sheree Bekker is Associate Professor in the Department for Health at the University of Bath. Her work centres on feminist perspectives in sport and she is co-lead of the Feminist Sport Lab. Stephen Mumford (Author) Stephen Mumford is a philosopher at Durham University. His many books include Football: The Philosophy Behind the Game (2019) and A Philosopher Looks at Sport (2021), and he is also co-lead of the Feminist Sport Lab.

Review :
Sport has been in desperate need of a fresh, nuanced approach to gender, one which has women, non-binary and trans people at its core. Open Play challenges the patriarchal system that has dictated women’s participation in sport around the world. Its philosophy is simple yet revolutionary amongst the status quo of so-called “feminist” approaches to sport. This book is not just a must-read, it should become foundational in the future of women’s sport from the grassroots to professional levels. Open Play is a necessary intervention in the contentious discussion over women, gender and sport. Bekker and Mumford immerse us in the realities of ‘women’s sport’ and convincingly make the case for a new ‘feminist sport.’ Imagine a world where anyone was free to reach their full potential playing the sport they love; where open competition replaced discrimination and exclusion, and where athletes were judged by their performances on the field rather than their conformity with gender norms. Sheree Bekker and Stephen Mumford show us how to get there, and how far we have to go. This courageous book should spark a revolution in sport. An articulate and convincing case that the segregation of women’s sports functions less as a benefit to women than a means of propping up patriarchal systems. It’s a trenchant, provocative take on a hot-button issue. In Open Play, Bekker and Mumford offer a thought-provoking reexamination of the role of women in sport – challenging not only the term "women’s sports" but the framework through which we view gender and sport. Provocative and necessary in a time of global debates on gender and athleticism, they challenge the often-promoted narrative that women need to be "protected" from men in competitive sport. Instead, Bekker and Mumford perceptively reveal how current sporting structures, despite numerous counterexamples, continue to reinforce gendered power imbalances. Thoroughly researched, sharply argued, and accessible, Open Play reimagines sport as a space for genuine equality where both women, and men, can excel. Rich in historical examples and scientific research, this groundbreaking book highlights insidious sociopolitical factors that have impacted the ways women and girls have been excluded from or minimized by sport, as well as the legal, institutional, and social pressures that have hindered women from finishing strong in the race toward equity.