What a year it has been for women’s sports.
There was an elation like watching some of the greatest athletes reach the end of their iconic careers. And as a result of shocking investigations, including Yates’ report outlining persistent sexual and psychological abuse by coaches of the All-American Women’s Soccer League coaches, some organizations and leagues have let athletes down. There have been sluggishness, including taking into account the hard truth that the
But after 12 long months, we succeeded. largely.
This year was a big year to look back on women’s sports. As we celebrated the signing of Book 9 half a century ago and the banning of sexism in education, much of this year was spent looking back on the last 50 years. We talked extensively about the progress that these 37 words have made since they became national law. Also, several reports have been published by organizations such as the Women’s Sports Foundation that provide a roadmap for how to move forward in her next 50 years.
Some politicians have introduced bills aimed at further improving gender equality in sports. These conversations could pick up in 2023, after the bill is reintroduced.
For example, Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy introduced the Fair Play Act for Women, which was intended to promote gender equality in college and K-12 sports.
This bill is intended to expand the reporting requirements for college and K-12 track and field data and to make all this information easily accessible to the public. Among other things, by allowing the Department of Education to fine institutions, it holds sports programs and associations accountable for Title IX violations and unfair treatment. It also increases education and awareness of Title IX rights through training of all Title IX coordinators at colleges and K-12 schools and a separate public database.
In a victory in late 2022, the House of Representatives passed a bill last week that guarantees equal compensation for U.S. women who compete in international competitions.on the international stage. The Equal Pay for U.S. Teams Act requires that all athletes representing the United States at world competitions receive equal pay and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender. It covers more than 50 US national sports and requires oversight by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
This year, thanks to a collective bargaining agreement between the national team’s players’ unions, the women’s team received a portion of the men’s team’s income from the men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This new bill goes a step further by addressing yet another way to achieve equality for professional athletes. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and made its way to President Joe Biden’s desk.
All of this makes for an exciting time to cover the women’s sports space, and 2023 should be even better.
Jessica Berman, the commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League, said it best. At the recent CBS Sports “We Need to Talk” sit-in, Berman spoke about women’s sports and the future of the NWSL. 2022 marks Ligue 10th The season — an important milestone for women’s soccer, which has long struggled to maintain a professional league in the United States.
“The future is right in front of us, and the challenges have been daunting, but the positives are undeniable,” Berman said on the show. But I think it’s because I believe in this league from a business point of view.
“Women’s sport is no longer considered a charity or a ‘nice to have’ or part of corporate social responsibility budgets,” she continued. “This is part of our investment in the future of the sport. It’s something that happened culturally in the world in the last year or so, when the paradigm shifted, and it really changed the future of what’s possible.”
We also have a lot of competition to look forward to. The Women’s FIFA World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand this summer. The US national team will be in contention for his historic third consecutive title after winning his two tournaments in 2015 and his final in 2019. If this past men’s World Cup is any indicator, the appetite for good football in the states continues to grow.
What kind of year will 2023 be for women’s sports?
