Why do women have to wear helmets at the Olympics and men don't?

Boxing at the Paris Olympic Games has so far been more about political issues than what has happened in the ring: 99% of the news has revolved around the challenge both inside and outside the ring between Khelif and Carini. Nevertheless, there is an aesthetic aspect of the boxing tournament worth highlighting. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments leave no room for creativity when it comes to clothing: the two athletes stepping into the ring wear either a solid blue uniform or a solid red uniform, and their shoes and gloves must match the color of their uniforms. There is only one detail that differentiates the men’s tournament from the women’s: in the latter, the female athletes are required to wear protective headgear, while this rule has been eliminated for the men’s tournament.

The decision to remove this obligation for men was made by the IOC on the eve of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Until that point, headgear was mandatory for men following its introduction at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. This obligation was lifted due to a study by the Global Sport Institute, which highlighted that the headgear used in amateur boxing was no longer adequately protecting athletes from the force of blows. Paradoxically, the risk of a boxer sustaining a head injury was lower if they did not wear headgear. Hence, the decision was made to eliminate the requirement for headgear in the men's tournament. Additionally, according to the study Use of Head Guards in AIBA Boxing Tournaments, approved in 2016 and referenced in the July 2024 issue of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, the likelihood of a boxing match without headgear being interrupted due to a head blow has decreased by 43% (while the risk of a cut on the back of the neck has increased by 430% without protection).

As mentioned, all of this applies only to men, while women are still required to wear headgear during the Olympic tournament. This was the case in London in 2012 during the debut of women’s boxing at the Olympic Games, and it has been the same in all subsequent Olympics. This is because scientific studies have yet to establish the same conclusion for women, namely that no matter how absurd it may seem, headgear poses more dangers than benefits. However, this plays into yet another political game between the IOC and the International Boxing Association (IBA), the world boxing federation. According to the IOC, headgear is still mandatory for women, while the IBA ratified the removal of this requirement on March 4, 2024. As of now, it is unclear whether women will wear headgear at the next Olympic Games scheduled for Los Angeles in 2028. This uncertainty arises because boxing is currently outside the Olympic program, as the IOC has suspended the IBA and has not yet recognized a new international governing body.