From clandestine to mainstream: The rise of women's soccer in Brazil
The upcoming coverage of the Women's World Cup in Brazil is set to make history, with all matches of the Brazilian national team being broadcast on free-to-air TV. Additionally, viewers can follow all 64 competition matches through pay TV and online streaming. Although the Women's World Cup, created by FIFA in 1991, is now in its ninth edition, this will only be the third time that matches will be televised live in Brazil.
Why is it only in the 21st century, in a sport that has existed for 160 years, that the women's category has managed to reach this level of visibility? Author of a doctoral thesis that sought to understand the erasure of women's soccer practice over the years, the researcher at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Nathália Pessanha, notes that for almost four decades they were legally prevented from practicing the sport in Brazil.
The ban originated in the decree that established the National Sports Council in 1941, signed by then-president Getúlio Vargas, and it was not until 1979 that it was finally lifted.
In the late 1930s, women's soccer began to grow as a sport, with female worker teams forming, especially in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. However, discourses emerged with the intention to prohibit its practice. Pessanha’s thesis argues that the objectives behind the ban extended beyond soccer itself.
Femininity
These discourses from various domains reinforced the notion that women were unsuitable for playing soccer, echoing trends observed in other countries like Germany and England. Additionally, concerns were raised about the compromise of women's "femininity." The Vargas government's decree asserted that women should not engage in sports not deemed fitting for their gender.
Despite the official ban and the lack of investment, Brazilian women found ways to continue playing the sport. Women's soccer also thrived internationally with the organization of clandestine cups, for which Brazil was invited but did not participate. Two such editions took place, one in Italy in 1970 and another in Mexico in 1971, neither bearing FIFA's endorsement.
The effort made over the years to prevent women from playing soccer has had both symbolic and practical repercussions. Symbolically, it ingrained in the minds of many that soccer was not a sport meant for women.
On a practical level, Pessanha points out the visible impacts that differentiate the development of soccer played by men and women.
These differences in treatment are also evident in memory spaces, such as the FIFA Museum in Switzerland, which Pessanha visited during her research. While the men's World Cups have dedicated stands for each edition, the women's World Cups have only two per stand, further highlighting the disparity.
