FACES OF PRIDE
EMPOWERING WOMEN IN SPORTS: FOUR ICONS TO LEAD POST-LOCK DOWN CHANGE BY DELILAH KEALY ROBERTS The terms ‘women’s football,’ ‘women’s athletics, and ‘women’s — or sometimes ladies’ tennis,’ assume that there’s something unusual, not normal about a woman picking up a racket or running onto the pitch (we never hear it referred to as ‘men’s football,’ after all). As with many aspects of society, this highlights that the world of sport has historically assumed a male default. Women in sport have long stood by the sidelines, waiting for their moment to come into play. In recent years however, women have worked tirelessly to change this perception and uproot the prejudices they have likely faced throughout their entire sporting career. In 2019 the funding was finally starting to reflect the talent of women in the sporting world while media coverage and public interest was beginning to peak. We saw undeniable evidence of this during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup when crowds gathered across the country to cheer on England’s Lionesses against the unstoppable United States Women's National Soccer Team. Interest undeniably rocketed, largely due to longawaited media coverage. Google search trends around the term women’s football (soccer) saw an unprecedented spike during June 2019, proving that when given the airtime, the public are keen to engage with and to support women in sports.
The world of women’s sport is, like the rest of the industry, currently undergoing a crisis. With Covid-19 bringing sport to a shuddering standstill this year, the momentum that was growing around women in sport is now in danger of falling flat. What’s more, while men’s sport is looking to get back on track as soon as possible, women’s sport is facing a lengthier lockdown. Commenting on Brazil withdrawing its hosting bid for the Women’s World Cup in 2023, Dame Tanni GreyThompson said, “we can’t just rush to get men’s sport back and not think about women’s sport. There has to be a balance and diversity, otherwise some of the strides women have made could be lost.” Additionally, Kelly Smith, a major trailblazer in women’s football in the U.K. argued that the women’s game had been “pushed aside” by an early end to the season. Luckily, there are plenty of inspiring female sports stars who have taken it upon themselves to keep the momentum going. Unapologetically demanding our attention, these women have been raking in trophies, speaking up about important issues and inspiring fans everywhere. Needless to say, the most influential women in sport aren’t going anywhere. Here are the ones to watch in post-lockdown women’s sport:
1
ALLYSON FELI X – TRACK AND FIELD Allyson Felix is the only American track and field sprinter to compete in the 100m, 200m and the 400m. In 2019 Felix sent shockwaves around the world when she secured her twelfth World Championships gold medal in the Doha World Athletics Championships, surpassing Usain Bolt’s world record. She didn’t stop there; she won a thirteenth on the final day of the championships. She did all this after giving birth to her daughter in November 2018 and taking on her sponsors over maternity rights, with one even planning to pay her 70 percent less than before she’d had her child.
Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil / CC BY 3.0 BR (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en)
www.Competesportsdiversity.com
COMPETE
31
