Equality: The Role Of Women In Sports

Women have struggled for more than two centuries to be taken serious as professionals. There should not be a double standard in sports especially if it is loved and played by both genders. Over the years, females have competed against the stereotype of being too fragile both mentally and physically to play strenuous sports. The passion and work ethic of the female professional athletes is just as strong as the males and everyone should be treated equal and be able to have a chance at making a better living for themselves as well as their family. One area that still faces a continual struggle in sports is gender equality. Female

Over two decades have passed since the enactment of Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education, including athletics. As a result of Title IX, women and girls have benefited from more athletic participation opportunities and more equitable facilities. Because of Title IX, more women have received athletic scholarships and thus opportunities for higher education that some may not have been able to afford otherwise. In addition, because of Title IX the salaries of coaches for women's teams have increased. Despite the obstacles women face in athletics, many women have led and are leading the way to gender equity.

Multiple sports currently played by both men and women have had a tremendous impact by Title IX.Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 simply bans gender discrimination allowing equal participation by males and females in any sport of their choice (Cummings 182). Through this portion of the Education Amendments of 1972, women have gained more playing opportunities and caused athletic departments to expand. Permitting women to participate in sports, provides many benefits to sports teams participation wise. SInce women are no longer allowed to be denied the chance to play on a team because of their gender, more teams must be created in order to fulfill this order. The impact of Title IX has reached high school and college level athletics. Just in 1980, the percentage of female college athletes increased from 15% (1971) to 30 percent, practically doubling (Title 73). High school sports have evidently been greatly influenced by Title IX. Back in 1971, 249,000 females participated in high school sports while last year (2013), there were 2.7 million participants, a significant increase (Murr 557-68). Not only have sport teams gained a large amount of female players, but they have also increased in popularity for this reason. Many minor sports, such as soccer and field hockey, have had a huge increase in both male and female participants, ranking them higher (Stevenson 486-505). Having participation from both genders allows one sport to gain popularity amongst others.

Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments Act prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs, but it had the greatest impact in increasing the opportunity for females in sports. The participation opportunities for females in sports are at its highest rate ever with 9,581 women’s intercollegiate teams in the NCAA in 2014, an increase of 307 since 2012 (Acosta & Carptenter, 2014). Despite the increased number of female

Successfully “the corporate world” has been able to offer continuous sponsorship deals with male athletes (Jackson, 2013). This leaves female sport to struggle along with less than 10% of corporate investment (Australian Sports Commission, 2016). One would think corporations should offer some much needed sponsorship deals to female

It is obvious in the Western culture; gender makes a difference within the sports. Several studies have shown how reality discriminates within female sporting events and athletes when compared to males. The objective of this study is to examine how male athletes and sporting events dominate over female athletes and sporting events since Title IX law was passed in 1972. The law stated that no person on the basis of sex, in the U.S. would be discriminated against in any athletics or educational programs. Since Title IX, women have had an incline in sports participation, equal education experience, pay salaries, respect, and position opportunities. Though Title IX did make a change for females, it is still areas for improvements in

Girls were never allowed to play sports until a law passed in 1972, Title IX, stated that girls are allowed to play sports, but not with boys. Deciding whether or not females should be able to play with males in sports has been a debatable topic for quite some time. Sports have been seen as something dominated by men. Although separating females from males seems redundant and sexist, male and female athletes should remain on separate teams because, males and females have different playing tactics along with abilities, most females are not affected by the separation, and men naturally have a stronger body build.

Over the past few years the difference in pay has started to become equal. Some sports still don’t pay the same, but some do. The history of inequality has been here since 1973, not one sport rewarded both male and female equally (Perasso). “A total of 83% of sports now reward men and women equal prize money” (Perasso). Progress is being made, but there are still some things

Sports have evolved significantly over the course of time. It has transitioned from being centered predominantly on the male athletes; and has now incorporated equal treatment towards female athletes. This transitioning did not occur over night, and it did not come easily to women who are involved in athletics. For every level of sports for women, the inequality and unfair treatment that they received was unjust and very much so unfair. Yet for many people outside of the athletic arena little to nothing was known about the harsh treatment or lack thereof that women received in athletics. Until Title IX brought these issues out, most women in athletics went on unnoticed or not having the ability to achieve their maximum potential because

Levey’s main argument with Title IX was based on the negative effect of the proportionality rule. His argument states that in order to comply with the proportionality rule, upper level schools have to comply with cutting male athletics (Levey 626). However, it has been stated that male athletics, at both high school and college levels, are continually increasing with the rate of female athletics.

Inequality is often defined as the condition of being unequal; a lack of equality; a disparity or unequal opportunity, or treatment resulting from this disparity. Almost forty-four years ago a federal law was mandated that enforced gender equality in all schools. At the time Title IX was enacted, only 30,000 women were participating in an NCAA sport, compared to the 170,000 men. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA offered no scholarships to women, nor did they offer championship tournaments (Tigay). Since the enactment of this law, the number of women who compete in college-level sports has increased more than five times since 1972, however, advocates say there is still a significant amount of work to be done while those against it say the law has come with unintended consequences. Those in favor of Title IX marvel at the continuing strides in granting women athletic equality, however, critics have opposed such advances due to the unjust impact it has had on male athletes.

Women’s Sports Foundation states key points about the significant law, Title IX which “The law says you just can't pick a sport in which boys play and girls don't and and say it doesn't count. By the way, more than 700 girls are playing high school football in the U.S. and they are not just kickers. They play as quarterbacks, linebackers, and ends too” (par.14). Title IX needs to be heard across the nation. Allowing female athletes concur male dominant sports, could be the new resolution.

Traditionally men have dominated the world of sports however in recent year’s women’s sports have become popular and with their new found popularity, women’s sports have evolved into marketable leagues of their own. Although women’s sports took a huge leap forward, women players still don’t receive the same financial compensation for playing the same sports in the same arenas as their male counterparts. In Purse Snatching by Donna Lopiano, she points out sexism may have a huge effect on this financial discrepancy between women and men athletes. Analyzing sports economics may point to a different reason why women are receiving such a compensation disparity.

The impact of the involvement of women in sports has grew tremendously since the enactment of Title IX. It has been over 40 years ago young women were not allowed to attend colleges or universities. They could not particiapte in sports however they could particiapte dance.

Women have always been the minority in the world even today: that is in the work force or even in sports. Title IX, an act that was made by the United States Congress in 1972, said that no one should be denied to play, receive financial aid, or discriminate to any education program or activity that pertains to only one sex (Senne 1). This act was a step towards improving female participation and lessening discrimination, but the stereotypes that most of society believes in still exist. This is one of the main reasons why women are discriminated when it comes to sports; by limited payroll, limited media coverage, and stereotypes.