Women in Sports: Finally Getting the Recognition They Deserve
For years, women’s sports have been on the sidelines, watching men dominate the sports world. However, their perseverance and determination are finally earning them long-overdue attention.
Men have always been allowed to play in competitive sports. It wasn’t until the late 1800s when women were able to join the race, even then without nearly the same accommodations and recognition as men.
Startlingly, The Daily Utah Chronicle reveals that in college sports, women coaches earn an average of $100,000 less than their male counterparts. This stark pay disparity, coupled with the historical underrepresentation of women in media coverage, is a clear injustice that demands our attention and action.
WOMENS SPORTS DESERVE WAY MORE RECOGNITION IN THE MEDIA ❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕❕ https://t.co/XTc9956Zjd
— Jocelyn Spanish (@jocelynspanish) June 2, 2018
The lack of coverage of women athletes not only affects revenue, the quality of the sport, and its production but also solidifies the sports industry’s hypermasculinity. News outlets, social media, and overall coverage of women’s sports established the idea that men are superior athletes, and lately, women are finally being able to prove this stereotype wrong.
Cecile Landi, an Olympic Gymnast who now coaches Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, describes how she has seen progress for women in many sports areas. Landi states, “Men have always had more airtime on television, but that this is changing. Women are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve.” Landi also expressed, “I think it’s shifting in the right direction because women are breaking boundaries and records.”
Landi is far from wrong when she points out how women are setting insane records and breaking boundaries and this is wildly shown recently within women’s basketball.
It’s a triumph to witness the phenomenal shift in Women’s basketball. Take Caitlin Clark, a name that many know, who went from playing for the Iowa University Women’s basketball team to now representing the WNBA Indiana Fever team. She has shattered numerous national records, been drafted number one overall for the WNBA, and even surpassed the legendary player Pete Maravich in total career points. These are just a fraction of her remarkable achievements.
Caitlyn Clark is so good man. It’s great to see a woman get as much recognition as her, womens sports are criminally underrated
— MillerMuse (@BMilMuse) April 2, 2024
Furthermore, Clark has brought media coverage like no other before. When playing for Iowa, the school’s home games attendance increased remarkably, and any school that would compete against them saw a 150% increase as well. Her athletic talent has broken not only records but also many stereotypes surrounding women in sports.
It would be impossible not to mention the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament between Iowa and Louisiana State University. A showdown that delivered a record 16.1 million views. A game that lived far past the hype, a night for the ages, and is said to have had the best audience of a men’s and women’s college basketball game ever. It was the most viewed college basketball game on ESPN since game seven of the 2018 National Basketball Association Eastern Conference finals.
At 12.3 million viewers, last night's Iowa-LSU game had more viewers than:
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) April 2, 2024
• Any women's CBB game ever
• The 2023 NBA Finals
• The 2023 World Series
• The 2023 Orange Bowl
• The 2023 Big Ten Championship
• The 2023 Cotton Bowl
• The 2023 Pac-12 Championship
• The 2023… pic.twitter.com/mOBgwtOMMQ
Additionally, strong, talented women like Serena Williams (Tennis Player), Simone Biles (Gymnast), Gretchen Bleiler (Snowboarder), and Faith Kipyegon (Mid-distance runner) are shattering glass ceilings for women all over the world.
Although these extraordinary women are paving a path for generations of women to come, and women’s sports are finally gaining real recognition, there is still a long way to go. By advocating equality, diminishing stereotypes, and showcasing how remarkable women are, we can collectively contribute to the reshaping of the narrative of not just women’s sports but womanhood overall.
