March is Women's History Month and today, March 8 is International Women's Day. It's a time to celebrate the impact that women have had in the world, including, the world of chess. It also a time for us all to reflect on our club's inclusivity and how each of us can make J.P. Chess gatherings and events more welcoming to female chess players.
In Chessable's 'Chess and Gender Participation Study - August 2022' participants were asked what can boys and men do to support an increase the participation of girls and women in chess. Suggestions mentioned included:
Be aware of sexist stereotypes,
stand up to sexism,
accept the fact that women are just as able chess players as men
be supportive on an individual level,
make the environment more welcoming,
it is vital that clubs examine their own polices to see what they have been blind to,
We also surveyed some of our female members to get their feedback, and as a result we introduced Polgar Places, a table with some extra space reserved for at least one female chess player. We also created a complaint process to report inappropriate behavior. If you see inappropriate behavior at one of our gatherings, please standup and speak out.
To our male players, speak with respect and dignity to female players and avoid condescending tones and comments. Know what mansplaining is so you can identify it when it happens and change. We can also educate ourselves on the challenges female chess players face in the chess world. Here are some good links below.
2023 Roundtable discussion
This is a very good discussion where the panelists open up about some of their traumatic experiences.
2024 Roundtable discussion (March 8, 2024)
BBC News Article
If you have other suggestions that will help make our club a more inclusive environment please email us at jamaicaplainchess@gmail.com or complete our anonymous survey here.
[Image above is AI generated using MS Co-pilot powered by DALL.E 3]
Having watched the chess.com roundtable discussion for 2024, I want to highlight the site 'Women in Chess Foundation' (link: Women in Chess Foundation ). This site helps women find advocates. An advocate is someone that women can talk to about something they have experienced at a chess tournament or related event. Here is the specific site for finding an advocate: Find an Advocate — Women in Chess Foundation