Billie Jean King. Photo credit: Britannica.com.
Issues of
Gender-Based Inequality in
Sports
“Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get crumbs, and I want women to have the cake, the icing and the cherry on top, too.”
Title IX has served as a tool for those fighting against discrimination of women athletes from the inequality seen in benefits for NCAA Tournament basketball teams to availability of women’s sports to equality for transgender athletes.
The Wage Gap
- Billie Jean King
Women in the Olympics The modern Olympic Games began in 1894 and were only reserved for men. Women were added to the docket in 1900, but only in sports that were considered inline with their “femininity and fragility” such as tennis, sailing, equestrian events, croquet, and golf. The Women’s Sports Federation began lobbying for equality for women in the Olympics and Women’s Olympiads were organized from 1922-1934 in order to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee. Progress slowly moved along as the century continued, but in 2007 the Olympic Charter included mandatory presence of women in all sports.
Title IX: Breaking Down Educational Barriers In 1972, Title IX legislation stated: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” In the fifty years since the passage of Title IX, opportunities for women to participate in sports at the K-12 and collegiate level have grown immensely. Before the legislation, many schools did not offer sports for women or offered more limited or only intramural options for female athletes.
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Soccer star and activist Megan Rapinoe speaks to Congress on Equal Pay Day 2021. Photo credit: ABC News.
The fight for pay equity for women in athletics is an ongoing struggle, most recently highlighted by campaigns spearheaded by Megan Rapinoe and the World Cup-winning US Women’s Soccer team. According to Forbes, the only sport in which women have earnings comparable to their male counterparts is in tennis, and that is often because of high profile endorsement and sponsorship deals, not prize money. In team sports, where earnings come from salaries in addition to endorsements and prize money, the discrepancy is stark. The past several years have been a watershed moment in the fight for equal treatment and pay equity. In 2019, Team USA soccer filed lawsuits against their governing organization and the organization responded with claims that, “WNT and MNT players do not perform equal work requiring equal skill, effort
Toni Stone – PlayGuide
