There are many reasons to be excited about The World Cup. Brazil is a gorgeous country, Christiano Ronaldo will definitely have a nine-pack, protests will occur, very fit men will be lifting up their shirts and the best soccer games in the world will occur. However, events like The World Cup bring out some of the worst behavior, in particular when it comes to sexism.
There are advertisements on television that feature women running around in bikinis, women in “football” uniforms that look more like underwear and lots of “mansplaining” for the women who can’t understand something so complex as goalkeeping. Unfortunately, it’s an effective way to advertise.
Many people are still oblivious to the subliminal sexism in these ads, but women must be aware of how they are displayed to the world. Even when the woman is a supermodel, she’s meant to represent the female gender. How interesting it is that plus-size models are never shown at The World Cup.
Another important issue to remember when it comes to this problem is that in Brazil, sex work is legal, which means that prostitutes will be exploited even more than usual. A good question would be to ask how these women are being protected, and the answer is they’re not, except for a law in Rio de Janeiro instituting women-only subway cars due to past issues with harassment.
In Brazil, women can walk around in thongs, but can be arrested for sunbathing topless. Abortion is outlawed and punishable with time in prison. Many say that law enforcement does nothing to help protect women, and mostly serves to propagate the sexual assault and harassment.
This year at The World Cup, sex workers will make plenty of money, but at the possible cost of their safety and health. It is important to remember the underlying misogyny and danger, despite the excitement of the event.
