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Main photo by Zayneb Bouzid. A work by Laurent Perbos displayed, on the steps of the Palais Bourbon in Paris, since May 2024, on the occasion of the Olympics. It features six Venus de Milo statues transformed by the talented visual artist Laurent Perbos.
Pierrede Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games inspired by the ancient Games in Greek Antiquity, must be turning over in his grave because of the gender parity imposed by the International Olympic Committee. He who in 1912 said, “The only true Olympic hero, as I have said, is the individual adult male.” Time has not proven Pierre de Coubertin right, as women athletes, to quote the Olympic slogan, are moving faster, higher, stronger. Today, entire nations carry, support, and cheer their women champions, especially when they are as exceptional as Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian tenniswoman, and Vinesh Phogat, the Indian wrestler. These multi-medal-winning icons restore the image of an entire people, expanding their dreams and giving them a breath of fresh air.
But for women, high-level competitions often spell out an obstacle course. The world of sport continues to perpetuate gender discrimination, such as the hyper-sexualization of women’s bodies and the negation of their specificities, namely their menstrual cycles. In Italy, racist verbal attacks against female champions of African descent representing the country in international games and tournaments are also on the rise.
Lack of infrastructure, prevailing conservatism, and the taboo surrounding women’s bodies are the reasons why very few female athletes reach the professional level in the countries of the South. In recent years, however, there have been a growing number of exceptions. In Egypt in particular, where filmmaker Mayye Zayed spent four years filming young female weightlifting champions, and in Morocco, where cinematographer Karim Hapette documented the day-to-day life of the players at CAK FF, a women’s football club in Khenifra, a small town in the hinterland, a breeding ground for round-ball talent.
Around the world, sport has always been a driving force for modernity. For women in particular, it reflects a drive towards real emancipation.
