2010 FIFA World Cup: Gender, politics and sport

Abstract

The euphoria of the 2010 FlFA World Cup in South Africa seems to persist, albeit as faded, scraggy remnants of flags hanging precariously on aerials and the side view mirrors of cars. The cacophony around this event has died. Shakira has left the stage. However the debates about the gendered impact of the FlFA World Cup still remain. This special issue of Agenda, maps out some of the key features of the debate, as we question whether women's participation in sport has been significant and whether international sporting events can make a substantive difference in women's lives. In the last decade or so. South Africa has repeatedly revelled in having the world's gaze trained upon us. From the moment Mandela stepped out of prison and onto the world stage, as a country we captured the world's attention. And we loved it!! It was such a refreshing change from being the pariahs of the world. Shortly thereafter, we hosted the Rugby World Cup and won. Hollywood even made a movie. Invictus, that brought President Mandela and the Rugby World Cup into brilliant unison, as a visual tribute to the powers of reconciliation. Since these magical moments a number of mega international sporting events, such as the World Cup Cricket tournament, international golf, surfing and tennis matches have been held here. It seems we have become somewhat addicted to being the centre of attention on the global sports stage. In the aftermath of the successful bid to host the FlFA World Cup, it seemed that the event would usher in a golden age of development for South Africans across race, gender and the urban - rural divide. And indeed, initially the promises of development seemed to be realised, as new jobs were created in construction, tourism and security. The president of FlFA Sepp Blatter, tied the staging of the mega soccer event integrally to a development agenda in South Africa and the continent. He claimed that the FlFA World Cup presented a common grounb for engaging in a wide range of social development activities, including education, health promotion, social integration and gender equity (Blatter, 201 0).