Should female Olympic boxers be forced to wear skirts?

It's been a long fight to make female boxing a recognised Olympic sport, but officials are now suggesting women will have to wear skirts in the ring

Officials from the International Amateur Boxing Association are planning to meet ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games to discuss the dress code of female boxers. But should women in the ring be made to wear skirts?

Responding to recent media reports suggesting female boxers will be forced to fight in skirts, the federation says: 'AIBA has not made any final decision on boxers uniform for women.

'We are seeking a consensus from the worldwide boxing family and the wider public for reference purposes.'

Women's boxing will make it's debut in at the London Games next year after being accepted by the International Olympic Committee in August 2009. But last year, AIBA suggested that women should wear skirts to help them stand out from their male competitors.

'I won't be wearing a miniskirt,' says Ireland's three-time world champion Katie Taylor. 'I don't even wear miniskirts on a night out, so I definitely won't be wearing one in the ring.'

But Kiwi Daniella Smith chose to wear a skirt at the IBF female welterweight bout at Carnival City in Johannesburg this summer.

Should female boxers be forced to wear a 'feminine uniform' in a time where gender equality is breaking moulds around the world?

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