I recently took part in a panel event by the alumni of my master’s programme in Sports Ethics and Integrity titled ‘What Do Sports Ethicists Do?’. It took place at KU Leuven, the university hosting the programme. I was invited to speak about my work in bringing attention to gender discrimination and sexual misconduct in Muay Thai, supporting athlete-survivors, and promoting safeguarding measures in the sport. I also discussed my role as a Trustee board member at Safe Sport International, a global charity driving international standards for safe sport.
I spoke about my work in creating Under the Ropes, writing about gender inequality and sexual violence in Muay Thai, supporting other athlete-survivors, and campaigning for change. I also discussed how this led me to the master’s programme, and to realise me to realise my ambitions to conduct research to advance safe sport in Muay Thai. I also spoke about my role as a Trustee board member at Safe Sport International and the project I’m leading to platform the voices of young people in safe sport. During the Q&A, I addressed the lack of sufficient safeguarding measures in Muay Thai, critiqued existing approaches, and proposed some of the changes required to make the sport safer.
As the only speaker on the panel yet to graduate, it was inspiring to hear the other speakers describe the important work they’ve been doing since graduating and the positive impact they’re making. I’m proud to be part of this incredible network of changemakers in sport.
Sports ethics combines sports philosophy with ethical training and social science. This expertise allows sports ethicists to provide multi-layered critical analysis of ethical issues in sport, including doping, accessibility, athlete rights, sustainability, interpersonal violence, sports governance, and much more. Our approach goes beyond simple regulations to encompass fairness, integrity and intersectionality, informed by a diverse range of perspectives.
You can find a wealth of work by my master’s alumni at The Sports Ethics Examiner on Instagram, where we unpack ethical issues in sport in an accessible and educational way. Below are some of the pieces I’ve contributed to there.
Let’s Make Muay Thai Safer
If you’re looking to implement safeguarding measures in your Muay Thai gym but aren’t sure where to start, I’ve put everything you need in one place. It includes direct links to resources provided by safe sport entities and experts in various countries and languages, including support services, policy templates, downloadable materials and more. Visit the Safe Sport Community Library to get started.
0 Comments