An increasing number of women in professional sports are pushing back on uniform requirements, arguing that they should be allowed to wear less revealing clothing.
This comes as Germany's women's gymnastics team wore long unitards that stretched to their ankles for their Olympic appearance in an effort to break sexualization in sports.
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Akilah Carter-Francique, the executive director for the Institute for the Study of Sport, Society and Social Change at San José State University, said athletes today are feeling more empowered than ever to use their voices for change.
"Those groups that have been historically marginalized, traditionally sort of silenced... we're now hearing those voices," Carter-Francique told KCBS Radio news anchor Rebecca Corral.
"Historically, women have always been sharing their voice pushing back, advocating for themselves, serving as activist for themselves and groups of women in these spaces," Carter-Francique added. "And this is a moment in which we as a global society are creating spaces for these voices to be front and center and acknowledging their voices so we do appreciate and value their lived experience."
Carter-Francique said it's the rule makers who really need to listen up.
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"I think we're seeing that the traditions of and the culture of our respective sports organizations, so those particular governing bodies, as well as even the culture of sport has some of that embedded tradition within it," she said. "We begin to look at who makes up those governing bodies, who's sitting at the table, who's making those decisions and who is maybe pushing back against some of the policies and practices that have been set as standard for uniforms."
If enough athletes speak up, Carter-Francique thinks we could see possible rule changes before the 2020 Olympics are over.
"Our athletes are speaking up and saying, 'Hey, we will pay the fines but this is what we want to wear to feel comfortable and to be able to perform at our highest ability,'" she said. "And then I think it will also create an opportunity for governing bodies like the IOC, and those respective sports' governing bodies to take a seat back and look at what do we need to begin to sort of change and shift and acknowledge the voices of our girls and our women in these sports spaces."
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