June 25th, 2015 was the day I hopped onto a Greyhound bus to Canada with high hopes to see the World Cup. Even though Team USA were the favorites to win, tickets happened to be inexpensive, the games were being played on 32- year old stadiums with minimum seating, and there was little to none preview coverage of the tournament. When I told people I was going, most of them would say, “There’s a World Cup this year?” There was, only it’s being played by women, not men.
At the end of that month, millions of viewers watched the final match between USA and Japan, making it one of the most watched women’s televised sporting event in history. People started to recognize players by their first names, purchased a few jerseys, and even attend one of their victory games. However, some might wonder why audiences only see these world-class players, like Abby Wambach, who holds the international goal-scoring record—for women and men—for a few weeks every two years at the World Cup or the Olympics. But most, even those who care about equality for women, won’t consider how different these athletes’ careers are compared to those of men who do the exact same thing for a living.
Today, the gap between men’s and women’s wages, the tiny fraction of female CEOs at Fortune 500 companies, and the lack of women in STEM careers receive regular coverage in both the mainstream and feminist media. The gender inequities in sports are just as vast as those faced by women in corporate offices or in the
This quote was acquired from LET'S EQUAL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR WOMEN IN SPORT by author Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, her quote is tremendously impactful to readers because it displays how much change there has been for female athletes throughout the generations. However, Mlambo-Ngcuka mentions there still is not equal pay for women succeeding enormously in their respected sports. As female athletes are still being belittled and underpaid (Mlambo-Ngcuka, 2015). This academic journal examines the growing topic of women earning significantly less than men in professional sports. Mlambo-Ngcuka attempts to asserts her opinion on the reader of this growing problem. In doing so, Mlambo-Ngcuka educates the reader on the amount changes that have taken place for women (Mlambo-Ngcuka, 2015). She shows how it could be possible to have equal pay for female athletes due to the success women have had in society prior past. “Similarly, even though progress has been made, women remain underrepresented in the leadership positions of sporting organizations, sport outfitters and marketers” (Mlambo-Ngcuka, 2015). Although Mlambo-Ngcuka mentions the several positives women have achieved. Her purpose is to exhibit to the reader that there is still a lot of work to be done for female athletes. As women have made a lot of progress through the years due to many advocates such as Mlambo- Ngcuka
Women in professional sports fits into the Sex and Power: Global Gender Inequality class because many female athletes have experienced the inequalities in a professional sports setting. Female athletes are being put down by gender inequalities, causing less females participating in athletic programs. Women athletes are being paid less than their male counterparts. Along with being paid less, female and males are receiving unequal benefits in the form of scholarship, media coverage, transportation, and stadium conditions. The professional sport’s world is filled with the obsession of body image and sexuality. Through this obsession, female athletes have been abused from the people they trust the most. There is an increasing inequality in women’s professional sports in the form of pay, sexuality, and abuse.
When it comes to sports men and women are rarely given equal opportunities to excel. This is the case in soccer specifically, as many individuals over look women’s soccer. Women are having to play on turf fields which is causing more injuries compared to men playing on natural grass. Men also make more money per match and they receive money if they lose, whereas the women do not receive any money if they lose a match. While women are becoming more successful, the men’s team has been around longer and bring in more media coverage and endorsements for the league. Despite the discrepancies found in media coverage of both teams, the US soccer federation and Federation International Football Association should provide equal opportunities for both men’s and women’s soccer teams.
"Gender Oppression Involving Men's and Women's Sports." : Analysis of a Scholarly Source: Equal Pay? Not on the Basketball Court" by David Woods. N.p., 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2015. .
From a young age, children are conditioned to always think about what they want to be when they grow up. Many of them dream to be a ballerina, firefighter, or an astronaut. With age comes maturity, and those aspirations pass, but simultaneously new, more realistic ones arise. To reach these new goals, these children work toward their dream through dedication, which can be seen in the studying or training they do. In today’s society females have more opportunity to do what they dream. There are young women who are assiduously working to get a college degree and a steady job. Then, there are also women who are training to become a professional athlete, with the aspiration of becoming a member of the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). In today’s society, women can pursue their goals, however, if compared to men’s sports, there can be differences seen that keep women from reaching full potential, equality, and their dreams.
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.
Today, sports are one of the biggest parts of our lives. Sunday night football has 64% of American?s sitting on their couch, rooting for their team. If anyone misses that, they have Monday and Tuesday night football to make it up. Besides football, which is the prominent headlight in this culture; sports like soccer, tennis, and basketball, sits close behind. However, most of these sports are linked with men; women are rarely thought of here. Women play these sports too, and do not receive the recognition that they deserve. These women athletes grew up facing oppression for the simple fact that they were women playing sports, yet they
Women’s equality is an issue that has been around for awhile. While women have been given many rights to increase equality, including the right to vote and go to college, the problem hasn’t completely vanished. One area that still sees this is in sports. Women’s sports do not draw nearly as many fans and are not covered in the media as much as men’s sports, pay differences between male and female athletes are large, and female athletes have to wait longer to start their professional career than men, which risks their professional career before it even starts.
As of 2015, there is a big gender inequality in the workplace, especially for professional female athletes. While most male soccer players have an excessive amount of money, most female sports players’ salaries put them below the poverty line in the cities they play in. Ironically, there is physical support in the number of attendance for the USWNT but there is a lack in financial support which should be fixed in the near
In every country, soccer stars are celebrated, they are young children’s’ heroes, and they inspire nations. Soccer is played in small villages in Africa, suburbs in America, and the arctic tundra of Russia, it can be played anytime, anywhere. It is the only sport that serves as a universal language, citizens in every country know the basics of soccer. Anyone, of any age, can play. It serves as a common connection for humanity and the players set examples for most of the world. If women are not being paid equally on the only platform that has the ability to reach the entire planet, it is no wonder that so many countries do not believe in women’s rights. However, if they were paid the same as men, they would be setting an example for the entire world. Many countries would begin to better understand that women are equal. After all, so many of life’s lessons are taught to children through games, especially games like soccer. This sport is a very rare, if not the only, opportunity to teach the entire world that women are just as equal as men, and not just on the soccer field. Women’s soccer could serve as the messenger to the world, and “kickoff” a new attitude for the equal treatment of women and really get the ball rolling on equal pay for women. This sport has the unique opportunity to use its influence to change attitudes that will seep
Through the movies viewed in this course this semester, we saw women who were able to play against men and still keep their femininity. Nothing is lost when playing sports not traditionally meant for a particular race or gender. Society must become more understanding when it comes to the sports different types of people play and hinder from stereotyping anyone when they participate and perform well in that sport.
The adverse topic of women in sports stems from society's disregard to viewing women as persons. Women were, and in other parts of the world continue to be viewed as property of men and have no significant role in society. Being allowed into the Olympics was a step in the right direction for women across the world, but it was meager attempt equality. Women were still restricted by what events they were allowed to compete in, how they were trained and coached and even limited as to what they could wear. A woman’s femininity played a large role in the way they were perceived by society; weak. Women were seen as incommensurate to men and it was something that has taken us centuries to reverse. Today, women are given the rights we should have
In the last one hundred years women have made tremendous inroads in many facets of life. Of that there can be little doubt. Women may now hold jobs, own property and participate in professional sports. Today women can compete in sports, once a vestige of male domination; there is now room for women in that arena. But even today women in sports are not portrayed in the same light as their male counterparts. To a large degree this is because of today's cultural ideal of women.
The sport business industry has been deeply influenced by countless social, economic, cultural, and legal issues since the 1800s all throughout the 1900s. A great amount of those issues revolve around diversity and, more specifically, women’s equity in sports. The “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match where Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs is one of the most prominent events from the 20th century that made a significant mark on sports and the sport business world, particularly on women’s involvement in sports. The “Battle of the Sexes” was a key victory for women that represented a major triumph over sexism in sports and brought about change in the entire sport industry.
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.