People protest against Tokyo 2020 Olympics saying “Olympics Kills” before Closing Ceremony

Hundreds and lakhs of local people protested in the street of Tokyo before the closing ceremony whilst authorities rejoiced at the success of the event, amid pandemic. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were sold to the public as “The recovery and reconstruction game, With that promise now void, The International Olympic Committee is now affirming the Games as a symbol of “peace” whereas citizens were protesting for their rights. They suggested the government to invest money on poors especially in covid times. On July 9, a group sought a court injunction to stop the opening of the Olympics, on the grounds that organizers have not effectively shown how the Games will be “safe and secure” in the midst of the pandemic.

The government treated its citizens unequally by ignoring months of protests to host the Olympics!

Gender Pay Gap in Sports: Gender inequality does prevail in professional sports and numerous factors contribute to this situation. Social norms held that athletics were unsafe for women set back the development of women’s professional sports. Arising from this issue, the men’s organizations had the opportunity to attain popularity and power while the women were held back. With the market for athletes and sports in the United States being a major financial industry, a federal policy mandating equal pay for women may be disruptive at this point. Next steps toward gender equality in professional sports may include greater advocacy on the part of key leaders in the world of sports. Raising awareness of the value of female athletes and their professional leagues will motivate better viewership and revenue generation.

Effects of Menstruation Cycle on sports: When British tennis player Heather Watson said in a post-match interview that she lost her Australian Open round due to "girl things," she incited a debate about menstruation that rapidly spread across the world. In a recent study, more than half of privilege female athletes recounted that hormonal inconstancy during their menstrual cycle negatively affected their exercise training and performance capacity. The most common side effects include cramps, back pain, headaches, and bloating. Also, Athletic amenorrhoea can be caused by over-exercising which makes the body release certain hormones, such as beta-endorphins and catecholamines. High levels of these hormones are thought to affect how oestrogen and progesterone work causing Amenorrhoea(absence of menstrual periods). To deal with this problem women use birth control pills to manipulate their periods. But,the effects of these pills and their high usage make us wonder if the social stigma regarding periods is to blame.

In recent years, our culture has seen a rise in menstrual activism that aims to put period stigma in the past. Here are some ways to help to end stigmas relating to Periods:-

1 . Donate Sanitary kits to homeless women if you can. We(Saarang India) have launched a Humanitarian initiative-Project Bedaag to battle the deep-rooted stigma and misconceptions around menstruation. We are soon going to start a fundraiser to donate sanitary kits in Cannaught Place, Delhi.

2. People who establish policies in educational institutions and workplaces can help break off period stigma by guaranteeing that anyone menstruating has access to required supplies.

3.Most importantly, people who menstruate should not be distinguished or punished for using straightforward language for discussing Menstruation. This helps to remove the discussion taboo.

“ It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing Ideals.”