While the most renowned tennis players in the world are playing the tournament of Roland Garrosa controversy began to fly over the organization for the dress code that is required of the hostesses. The discussion also reached the trade union world after the leader of the French CGT, Sophie Binetwill denounce that it is “macho stereotypes”.
The French Open is one of four Grand Slam that take place during the year and the “tennis planet” usually stops for two weeks to observe the performance of the best athletes on clay. However, behind the pomp of this high-performance sport, criticism appeared for the way the women in charge of guiding the public to the field of play and even the ball boys were dressed.
The French medium The Parisian released last Friday a “Guide to the perfect promoter” which would act as a filter for those who want to work in the different fields of the tournament. There, “a light makeup but always present and resistant to the elements” and “a bottle of lacquer for rebellious locks” are requested. However, the controversy that triggered the biggest criticism was the “shaved legs and underarms” detail.
A promoter who worked in the tournament was interviewed by the French media and assured that 70% are “young, white, thin” women. In addition, the contracting module is carried out through agencies.
Every year Roland Garros contracts through agencies several hundred promoters, boys and girls whose function will be to control the tickets, the reception and the flow of spectators on and off the slopes. 70% are “young, white, thin” women, says another promoter interviewed by The Parisian.
“There is a real problem with the promotion profession, which is structured by sexist stereotypes“, accused the trade unionist Binet on the BFMTV program on French television. She also added that women are “particularly exposed to sexual harassment, sexist comments and even sexual assault.”
“We are denying their professionalism by locking them in the role of trophy wives, vases,” he questioned, adding that “this structural sexism” must end.
From politics, the deputy Sandrine Rousseau charged against Roland Garros and said that it represents “yesterday’s world, retrograde, sexist and misogynistic, which sees women as green plants.”
The controversy at the Madrid Open
The tournament that the number one in the world won, Carlos Alcaraz, was also in the eye of critics after the ball boys dressed as “models”, according to The country.
There you could see the women in miniskirts and short T-shirts as they approached the field to take the balls used during the game. This happened, above all, during the “big” or more important matches of the final phase, since boys or girls were first in charge of the task.
“First, We don’t understand why it is necessary to have models in the parties, when the boys and girls know the game and the rules perfectly, and the models sometimes do it well and sometimes they do it badly. And then there is the inconsistency of the uniform and why women always have to be presented dressed to be an object,” Pilar Calvo, general secretary of the Association for women in professional sports, declared at the time. She then contacted the organization to review what was happening.In the final match, the women could be seen wearing shorts instead of a miniskirt.
GI/fl
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