Action Alert | Settling the Score for Women in Sports
Over time, women’s representation in sports has been abysmal. But women and their allies are metaphorically and literally working to put points on the scoreboard for gender equality. This week we bring you inspiring stories of a few athletes pushing for parity on the playing field.
Oorbee Roy is redefining the world of skateboarding as a 40-something South Asian mother and viral TikTok sensation. Her TikTok account, which you can (and should) follow at @AuntySkates, is bursting with inspiring stories about redefining the roles of gender, age, and culture in traditionally male-dominated sports and hobbies. Oorbee is proving through her platform that skating is indeed a gender-neutral sport. Her love for the sport also sends a message to women to always pursue their hobbies, regardless of career, age, or motherhood.
Red Bull Rampage — not to be confused as the latest name for another energy drink — is the annual freeride mountain biking competition in the red rock cliffs of Utah. More importantly, this endorphin-spiked event is for men riders only. A passionate bike racer, Katie Holden, saw the lack of gender representation as a ramp to catapult herself and other women riders into the mountain biking hall of fame. In 2019 Katie started Red Bull Formation, a place for mountain bikers to showcase their skills without competing for titles. Red Bull Formation presents riders with opportunities to vie for sponsors, recognition, and fame.
This month, Rachel Balkovec was named the first woman to manage a minor league baseball team. Her hiring is part of a growing trend where professional sports, particularly highly watched men’s leagues, are evolving their practices to include more women. Balkovec’s way was paved by notable women last year like Bianca Smith, the first Black woman to coach pro baseball; Becky Hammon, the first woman to coach an NBA regular-season game; Katie Sowers, the first openly gay coach in pro football; and the increased number of women referees in the NFL and the NBA.
Women are breaking barriers on and off the field across the sports industry. But miraculous feats and firsts of their kind are not enough to move the needle on equality in sports.
Why This Matters At GenderAvenger
The sports industry is a lucrative business. The estimated global worth of the sports industry is around $500 billion, with professional sports and all the business around it, creating roughly $250 billion in turnover each year. Time and again, women’s sports continue to prove talent, interest, and a market; however, barriers persist that prevent women from gaining the same notoriety and resources as men. Although a Nielsen report found that 84% of general sports fans were interested in women’s sports, Deloitte predicted that women’s sports revenues would be a fraction of the global combined coverage in 2021, coming in at well under a billion dollars.
Whether it’s the sport itself, the media ecosystems, or industries like advertising and retail that maintain it, sports for women and girls is still an uneven and inequitable experience. We should ask ourselves: How do we bring more visibility to women in sports — supporting their passions and championing their efforts at the same level as their male counterparts?
It starts with coverage. Increasing the visibility of women in sports is a multipronged effort. More coverage means more sponsorships and notoriety, generating more interest in the game. More women reporting on the game increases women’s voices and perspectives in media.
According to Nielsen, 84% of general sports fans are interested in women’s sports. The interest is there, but the stories are not. The 2018 Associated Press Sports Editors Racial and Gender Report Card revealed that only 10% of sports editors and 11.5% of sports reporters in the United States and Canada are women. How we cover sports, who gets prime time slots, and which commentators cover those events is essential to changing the narrative around women’s athletic competition. Partnerships like that between DAZN and The Female Quotient work to level visibility and viewership disparity in women’s sports by tackling The Coverage Gap.
It starts with commitment. More girls playing sports is always a good thing, but girls begin dropping out at twice the rate of boys during the middle school years. Understanding why girls drop out can increase the retention of girls in sports. The Women’s Sports Foundation details six factors influencing girls’ participation in sports. Combating these factors will not only grow the popularity of a particular sport, but it benefits girls by increasing their confidence and the long-term benefits of competing and contributing to a team.
It starts with courage. This summer marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation that prevents federally funded educational institutions from discriminating against students or employees based on sex. In the months ahead, there will be numerous think pieces and special programming about the impact of Title IX across five decades. We’d like you to keep an eye out to ensure that women lead and participate in these important discussions.
We know that many more ‘firsts’ are yet to come in sports for women. The uphill battle toward gender equality requires us to celebrate the trailblazers while demanding our share of the action! Let’s celebrate the women who are paving the way for many more to follow. Let’s also push for more women in front of the camera on the field and in newsrooms. Let’s get more women owning teams. And let’s get more women referees at nationally covered sporting events.
What’s Next? Community Action
This week we invite you to use a gender equality lens to analyze professional sports competitions, club and recreational sports leagues, and local sports teams. Are there women in leadership and decision-making roles? Is the sports coverage equitable? Where do you see gender parity? What sports need improvement?
Share your discoveries and tallies with us on Twitter or LinkedIn!
While you watch, use the GA Tally to time who talks or count who covers national sporting events, the gender representation of the referees, or how long sports commentators spend on women’s sports coverage.
Light the Flame with Inspiring Reads
Many individuals and organizations are helping women claim their place at the table, take their time at the mic, or rise to power and influence. We hope this week’s reads empower and inspire your advocacy.
As more states begin to recognize nonbinary individuals on identification documents legally, one mom took to Twitter to highlight how Delta Airlines’ zero gender options for nonbinary people is discriminatory.
We’ve got more baseball love as seventeen-year-old Genevieve Beacom becomes the first woman to pitch professionally in Australia. Read more about how her promising career is inspiring everyone.
It isn’t Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, but renowned poet and social activist Maya Angelou became the first Black Woman on a Quarter last week.
P.S. Thank you to everyone who has been participating in #GATallyTuesday! Look out for a reminder on social media each Tuesday to share your tallies!
📣🚨 This week, we recognize women crushing the patriarchy in sports. But it’s going to take more than hard work on the field to bring parity to the sports industry… It’s going to take more coverage, commitment, and courage! #GenderAvenger