Is India’s Women’s Premier League a stepping stone to eradicating gender disparity in sports?
Women getting recognition in sports has genuinely been delightful. But, how far can we cover the disparity between women's and men's cricket?
The Women’s Premier League, popularly known as WPL, is India’s newest franchise of T-20 cricket for women. Similar to IPL (Indian Premier League), WPL consists of mixed teams (from all over the world) playing against each other.
This year marks the first year of WPL with five teams participating in the game. But, what’s truly questionable is whether launching new franchises would subside the gender disparity in India’s sports culture.
Since yesterday was International Women’s Day, I was tempted to dedicate this entire month to writing for and about women. Naturally, my first instinct was to look within the borders and write about women in cricket.
Coincidently, while having a discussion with my younger sibling regarding the matches being held in my city, he mentioned how the tickets for the same cost only INR 100, i-e £1.03 (09/03’s rate).
And then, remembering the iconic IPL (men’s cricket) match that I had previously been to, I realised how the ticket prices varied greatly. While the farthest tickets (from the pitch) started from INR 800 (£8 approx.), it sometimes went on to INR 10,000 (£102 approx.).
Let me be real, it irked me to see the significant difference between matches of the same game solely based on its gender.
Let’s talk facts- in a country like India, where patriarchy has held its ancient roots, women playing cricket on an international level has not yet been accepted entirely.
One thing to note is that this piece isn’t about subordinate ticket prices (because who doesn’t love cheaper tickets?), it’s majorly about tackling sexism in sports despite being an international phenomenon.
Another thing we shouldn’t forget is that it took almost 15 years for the Women’s Premier League to start after Indian Premier League started in 20008. Also, why is it the Indian Premier League and not Men’s Premier League?
In contradiction, I know several acquaintances that enjoy a good game of cricket without considering it a gendered play- but that is still a niche. Unfortunately, a vast amount of people in India (and maybe in the countries that play the sport) don’t generally give importance to women’s cricket.
Owing to my piece, I informally interviewed my brother. Obviously, my source told me how initially India was obsessed with men’s cricket to a point of neglecting women’s cricket. Another reason, he stated, would be their performances in their matches before fame hit a sixer!
Interestingly, my source mentioned how in some matches the Indian cricket team played better than their male counterparts. But, that’s the thing isn’t it- Indian cricket lovers will support men cricketers despite showing little to zero progress in international series, but would give excuses to watch women play cricket just because they aren’t as ‘skilled’ as men.
Look, I don’t consider myself an avid cricket fan- in fact, most of the time, I get my updates from InShorts. But, I have grown up watching cricket with my family. I have been reduced to a cheerleader when my cousins played with their friends, and I have been looked at with astonishment after stating two facts about cricket. So, even if I don’t know the ins and outs of cricket- I do know what it means to watch cricket from a feminist perspective.
But, wait- it doesn’t answer my question if WPL is a stepping stone to eradicating gender disparity in sports. To be candid, the answer is somehow on the fence- it’s neither a yes, nor a no.
There is no doubt that there surely has been a dynamic shift in how we view women’s cricket. For example, just last year we climbed the bridge toward biased gendered pay when BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) announced that female cricketers will get paid the same amount as male cricketers. Clearly, this historic movement is celebratory, but challenges still persist.
Surely, the Women’s Premier League is taking us a little closer to gender equality, it is up to the people- cricket fanatics- to show as much love to female cricketers as they show to their male counterparts.
Anywho, even though there have been monumental changes taking place for bridging the gap between men’s and women’s sports, certain challenges do persist- and until we don’t get rid of the prejudice, we won’t be able to fully eliminate gender disparity.
