Category: Woman

A TVO Original

In the shocking Category: Woman, Emmy-nominated Director and former Olympian, Phyllis Ellis delves into the widespread abuse of power, misogyny and racism of one of the biggest violations against women in international sport.

The film reveals the underbelly of a corrupt industry run by men and filled with dark secrets, where governing sports bodies are accountable to no one.

Only through the power of courageous whistleblowers do we know about the unspeakable adversity women champions have faced. They expose the unethical, life altering medical procedures and falsified scientific research, unveiling one of the worst human rights abuses in sport, which continues today.

This is a universal story of champions overcoming the greatest obstacles: racism, hate-mongering and the targeted assault on their bodies and careers. No one imagined their dream to be an Olympic champion might destroy them.

In all sporting spheres, women are subjected to sex testing; their gender questioned simply because they’re champions. When does this ever happen to male athletes? In a post #MeToo era, it’s time to tackle double standards in the sporting world.

Following up on her award-winning, Emmy nominated film Toxic Beauty, Phyllis Ellis exposes an industry controlled by men putting women’s lives at risk while this policing of women’s bodies in sport remains, in a more nefarious way, under the guise of fair play.