The success of women’s football is feminist revolution by stealth
New StatesmanAug 02, 2022
Female soccer players suffer a higher risk of injury because their uniform and equipment have largely been designed for male players, according to a UK study conducted by sports scientists.
Dr. Katrine Okholm Kryger, the report's author, has concluded that the difference in the shape and volume of women's feet means ill-fitting cleats can pinch the feet in unwanted ways. Kryger stated that: "women have a two to five times higher risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries," a type of knee injury.
Women's soccer in the UK is going from strength to strength. Before the Euro 2022 competition, England last won a major competition fifty-six years ago, when women were still banned from playing competitively. But now everything has changed, and the power of seeing female sporting success is a triumph for gender equality and an example to younger generations. Tackling the lack of female equipment is just the latest step forward.
While progress in equality for female soccer players is doubtless a positive thing, there is still barely any investment or visibility in team-based female pursuits like lacrosse or netball. Rather than trying to imitate a "male" game, we should be encouraging boys, and the country at large, to enjoy traditionally female sports and diversify investment and attention to other pursuits to make female role models more visible.