An Indigenous Women’s Softball Team Beats Opponents, and Machismo
A Mayan team from a small community on the Yucatán Peninsula has caused a sensation by excelling as its athletes play barefoot and wear traditional dresses, breaking barriers with every game.
By Adam Williams
“Here a woman serves the home and is not supposed to go out and play sports,” said Fabiola May Chulim, the team captain and manager of the Little Devils, known here as Las Diablillas, their name in Spanish. “When a woman marries, she’s supposed to do chores and attend to her husband and kids. We decided a few years ago that’s not going to impede us anymore from playing a sport when we want.”...
The team’s stardom has brought change in perceptions among men in the town. While members of the Diablillas used to request permission for something as simple as leaving the home, they now say they feel more liberated and empowered.
www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/sports/mexico-softball-indigenous-women.html?searchResultPosition=1
www.newsrust.com/2021/11/in-mexico-indigenous-womens-softball.html