London 2012 Olympics: forcing female boxers to wear skirts is a flawed and sleazy idea

Would you like to tell Chantelle Cameron and Nicola Adams to wear a skirt? (Photo: PA)

What is it about a flouncey short skirt that male sports administrators find so appealing? Here we are in the 21st century, where women have forged their equal rights in most areas of life, including, to the dismay of some men, the boxing ring.

For the first time at London 2012 women’s boxing will be on the Olympic Games program. Initially there were some commentators objecting to women being involved in a brutal and bloodied sport. Their shoddy assumptions usually centred on the supposed frailty of women.

Now we have dinosaur officials, again men, in charge of the international boxing authority the AIBA, who have recommended that the women compete in the Olympics in skirts.

I wouldn't be surprised if tucked away in those ridiculous and anachronistic recommendations are also a maximum skirt length, similar to the skimpy skirt requirement for beach volleyball players.

Thankfully female boxers have brains to match their brawn.

Ireland's Katie Taylor said: "It's a disgrace that they're forcing some of the women to wear those mini-skirts. We should be able to wear shorts, just like the men. I won't be wearing a mini-skirt. I don't even wear mini-skirts on a night out, so I definitely won't be wearing mini-skirts in the ring."

The AIBA says outrageously, that having women wear skirts would distinguish them from men. Hmm, here are some clues, guys: hips and breasts.

Not only is the idea flawed that skirts can somehow make female boxing appear more feminine, it is somewhat sleazy to have ringside boxing officials – nearly always male – looking upwards, ostensibly to watch the action. That's what I call perving.