Sojourner Truth “Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man-when I could get it-and bear the last as well! And ain’t I a woman?   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SojournerTruth

Gender Inequality Still Exists in 2014

Sojourner Truth, an African American women’s rights activist in 1851 gave a famous speech at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention about gender inequalities (see her quote below). Even today, over 150 years later, women are making advancements, one step at a time, towards gender equality.  But the battle still exists as women are continued to be barred from certain Olympic sports competitions in this male dominated world. 

According to an article by Amanda Duberman published February 6, 2014, women JUST THIS YEAR were allowed to compete in the ski jumping at the Sochi games. Lindsay Van, 29, Jessica Jerome, 27, and Sarah Hendrickson who is only 19 years old entered this year’s competition. 

Is this the end of gender discrimination in the Olympic games? No, there is still one other sport in which women are not allowed to compete, the Nordic Combined which includes cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Why? The barring, according to the article, is because of gender bias, a “dusty old notion that rigorous physical activity is dangerous to women’s reproductive organs” (Duberman).  I believe it is time for the Olympics to stop out-dated gender discrimination. 

Website reference:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/women-ski-jump-olympics-sports-barred_n_4654759.html