The “Grunt-o-Meter” as the Manifestation of Gender Discrimination

Introduction

The modern world actively promotes the gender equality, sometimes even in a grotesque way. When it comes to the inequality of men and women rights it is usually accepted that this problem refers to a particular third world country. It is suggested that in the developed countries the problem of sexism has been successfully solved in the twentieth century and is not the subject of a discussion today. However, from time to time in the global community there are certain thought-provoking facts, forcing to put gender equality under some doubt. One of these facts is the controversy surrounding the proposed introduction of a “grunt-o-meter”. This is a device intended to measure female competitors’ “grunts” at the tennis courts and penalize them if these become too loud. The prospect of introduction of this device has generated a lot of questions about the ethical aspects of its usage. First of all, why is such a device not in the works for male tennis players as well? This essay will attempt to clarify why the emergence of “grunt-o-meter” is a manifestation of modern sexism. This will be achieved by consideration of the intended use of the device, including the cause of its appearance. We will also learn the principles of gender equality and inequality in sports and discus the question of increased attention to the bodies of female athletes. In the end, we will try to assess the need for the introduction of the instrument and its relevance to modern moral norms and legal principles and to suggest the civilized measures of solving the problem.

Conclusion

Summarizing the material, it may be said, that idea of “grunt-o-meter” violates the basic principles of gender equality in sport. According to the international documents the rights of men and women in the sport are equal. In relation to psychological and physiological gender differences, women in sport must be ensured the conditions appropriate to their characteristics. Therefore the use of “grunt-o-meter” only on women's matches is a manifestation of sexism.

The civilized ways to solve the problem should be suggested. First of all, sport associations may refuse the idea of “grant-o-meter” as a discriminating and ridiculous one. Instead of it sport organizations can conduct a kind of educational program among young female tennis players explaining the unaesthetic of such behavior to reduce it as much as possible. The point is, to allow the women to go all out on the court not forbidding them to scream, but to convince them not to cross the reasonable line so as not to look stupid and to respect themselves as professional athletes.

If the need of this device is recognized, then it must be used equally on men's and women's matches. It is not just the women who “grunt” at the court. There are many examples of men athletes “grunting” loudly during the competitions. So the increased attention to women's cries is not fair and has sexist overtones.