On the 19th of July 2021, the Norwegian women's beach handball team were each fined 150 euros for wearing shorts rather than bikini bottoms during a match.

The International Handball Federation (IHF) requires women to wear bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg.” The sides of the bikini bottoms must be no more than four inches. Men can wear shorts as long as four inches above their knees as long as they are “not too baggy.” 

According to Kåre Geir Lio, the Norwegian Handball Federation President "bikini bottoms are not [appropriate clothing for] the activity when they are playing in the sand." Martine Welfler, one of the Norwegian players, told the Times "I don't see why we can't play in shorts. With so much body shaming and stuff like that these days, you should be able to wear a little bit more when you play."

The IHF released a statement saying that: "First of all, both the European Handball Federation and the International Handball Federation are committed to popularising beach handball." Later adding "EHF President, Michael Wiederer and IHF President, Dr Hassan Moustafa agreed on the next steps and assure the beach handball community, and all its fans, that all efforts will be taken in order to further promote the sport. This includes the ideal presentation of the sport and, by that, includes the outfit of the players."

It is clear that neither the IHF or EHF have any interest in protecting its players and are invested instead in popularising the sport by mandating a sexist and impractical uniform for its female athletes.

Fining women for wearing clothes that they are comfortable competing in and which give them no advantage in competition sends the following messages.

*Women's bodies are not their own. Girls and women who stand up for their human right not to show their bodies and to live without discrimination will be fined. 

*Women athletes are inferior and need to be sexualised in sport to attract an audience

This is a clear example where women athletes are hypersexialised under the premise of 'popularising' the sport, showing them as women first and athletes second. This contributes to the construction of harmful gender stereotypes and will discourage girls and women from getting into this sport. 

The following actions need to be taken in order to restore trust in the IHF and EHF. 

1) The IHF and EHF should immediately return the fines to the Norwegian players

2) The IHF and EHF should apologise to the Norwegian players

3) The IHF and EHF should immediately adjust their uniform requirements for women so that they can elect to compete in uniform they are comfortable wearing.