In this segment, we gather some of the female players and have a round table discussion regarding playing Airsoft as a girl.
In this panel we have Laura, Veronica, Sascha, Tiana and Karmen.
Airsoft has been a male dominated sport / hobby for a while now. Imagery of masculine has been plastered by the airsoft industry since it is the main clientele from the beginning. War games is labelled as a male oriented sport or event as it mimics or simulates real life war. Similarly, militaries around the world have seen a rise of females in roles and ranks of their organizations. Airsoft is seeing similar trends as well. Femininity is an important aspect of Women of Airsoft, it functions as a direct opposition to the masculine perception of Airsoft. Certain times, femininity is enhanced to remind people that yes, women are playing airsoft. While traditional gender stereotypes have remained constant throughout the years, they have also been challenged and confronted by many females. Airsoft is no exception with females breaking the barrier. Over the years, Panther Airsoft has seen an influx of females establishing themselves into the sport / hobby. Thanks to the work of Canadian Association for Advancement of Women and Sport in 1981 (now known as “Canadian Women & Sport”), they advocated for progressive change within Canada’s sport system. This cause a change in society that accepted girls in all levels of sports. Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z girls saw the most changes in female sports. And this applies well to Airsoft.