ACTIVISM

January 11, 2023

4th Annual International Women’s Day Bike Ride Spreads the Message of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

LOMBARD, Illinois /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - On March 8-12, 2023, nonprofit Inspyrd Movement™ will be hosting their 4th annual International Women’s Day – Together We Ride™ global cycling event. As in years past, participants are encouraged to ride their bikes anywhere, any distance, outdoors or inside, in a group or solo...

January 10, 2023

The sports world is still built for men. This elite runner wants to change that

A lot of tension is created for female athletes around their body," acccording to champion distance runner Lauren Fleshman, a coach and now an activist working to promote equity in sports by recognizing the differences in male and female bodies. "There's a basic level of education that coaches need to...

December 23, 2022

House passes equal pay bill for Team USA athletes

The House this week passed a bipartisan bill that requires equal compensation for U.S. women competing in international sports competitions. The bill, called the Equal Pay for Team USA, requires that all athletes representing the U.S. in international competitions receive equal pay and benefits, including medical care, travel and expenses. It's...

December 15, 2022

Adam Silver Wants NBA To Hire Its First Female Head Coach

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver would be “hugely disappointed” if the NBA doesn’t hire its first female head coach within the next five years. The Commissioner made the comments to veteran sports TV journalist Bonnie Bernstein on the NCAA’s podcast channel Thursday. FOS

December 13, 2022

Female Track & Field Athletes the Target of Online Abuse During World Championships

During the 2022 World Championships, female athletes received 60 percent of all online abuse via Twitter and Instagram, according to a report released in November by World Athletics, the international governing body of track and field. It was the second time World Athletics monitored social media during two weeks of high-profile...

December 12, 2022

Life Time responds to Sea Otter petition, changes start times for women’s cross-country race

Life Time, the parent company of the Sea Otter Classic, has said they are changing the start format of the Fuego 40km cross-country mountain bike race in 2023. In 2023, all women's age group categories will start ahead of the men. VeloNews

December 12, 2022

With Griner safely home, WNBA focus shifts to avoiding future situations

With Mercury C Brittney Griner free from Russian custody, the focus for WNBACommissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA “shifts to supporting the 32-year-old and her family -- and to ensuring that Griner’s ordeal doesn’t happen again,” according to Eden Laase of JUST WOMEN’S SPORTS. SBJ

December 7, 2022

‘Let Women Ride:’ How one mountain biker’s school project seeks to address gender equality at Sea Otter

Yoslov, a senior at The Branson School, a private high school in Marin County, California, is the author of a petition on change.org that is gathering signatures with astonishing force. The name of the petition is ‘Let Women Ride: Improve Gender Equality in The Sea Otter Classic,’ and it’s Yoslov’s...

December 3, 2022

Iranian athlete’s family home demolished by officials, media outlet says

The family home of Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi has been demolished, according to the pro-reform news outlet IranWire, after she rose to international prominence this fall for competing with her head uncovered. Rekabi competed without her hijab in South Korea in October, just as anti-regime protests swept Iran following...

December 1, 2022

UCI recognised for its support of female cyclists from Afghanistan

The UCI received the Special Jury Prize for its actions to support female cyclists from Afghanistan by helping evacuate them from the country following the Taliban take-over in 2021, welcoming athletes to its headquarters in Aigle (Switzerland) and organising the women’s national championships on Swiss territory. Endurance.biz

November 30, 2022

First All-Female Referee Team To Take Pitch During A Men’s World Cup

On Wednesday, all three referees at a men’s World Cup match will be women, according to FIFA. The Costa Rica-Germany Group E match on Thursday will feature Karen Dia, Neuza Back, and Stephanie Frappart — the main referee. While this isn’t the first time FIFA has employed female referees —...

November 30, 2022

The Women’s Sports Foundation Announces its 2022 Grant Recipients for the Sports 4 Life Program – Serving Girls of Color in 40 Community Organizations Across 23 States

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2022 - The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) announced the 2022 grant recipients of the Sports 4 Life program - a national initiative, co-founded with espnW and supported by Gatorade, to increase sport participation and retention of Black, African-American, Hispanic and Native American girls throughout the country. This...

November 23, 2022

The 36 iconic female athletes who have changed the world of women’s sports for the better

Recent breakthroughs have helped usher female athletes and their organizations closer to the mainstream than they've ever been. According to a 2018 Nielsen report on the rise of women's sports, 84% of general sports fans now have an interest in women's sports. Insider

November 22, 2022

How Races Are Supporting Breastfeeding Runners

From pumping tents at start villages to lactation stations along the course, here’s how major races are making changes to better support new moms. Runners World (paywall)

November 21, 2022

Gymnasts to testify on first day of hearings on safety of girls, women in sport

After months of imploring the federal government to clean up their sport, Canadian gymnasts will finally have the floor in Ottawa. Gymnasts will be among the first to testify before members of Parliament today as the Standing Committee on the Status of Women begins its hearings on the safety of...

November 17, 2022

Wimbledon relaxing its all-white clothing rule to allow women to wear dark-colored undershorts

Wimbledon is planning to relax its all-white clothing rule in order to allow women's players to wear dark-colored undershorts if they choose to do so, according to an announcement from organizers on Thursday. This comes after Wimbledon and its organizers were facing scrutiny regarding whether blood would be visible on...

November 14, 2022

Marlins become first major sports team led by two women

The Miami Marlins promoted O’Connor to president of business operations on Monday, making them the first U.S. major sports franchise to have women serving simultaneously as president and general manager. The Marlins made history by hiring Kim Ng as GM in November 2020; two years later, they’ve made another significant...

November 9, 2022

New Endorsements for College Athletes Resurface an Old Concern: Sex Sells

Female college athletes are making millions thanks to their large social media followings. But some who have fought for equity in women’s sports worry that their brand building is regressive. NY Times

November 7, 2022

Kathrine Switzer On Why We Still Need Safe Spaces for Female Runners

Running a marathon is, of course, hard. Running a marathon while the race director tries to rip your race number off is another thing entirely. That’s what Kathrine Switzer endured while becoming the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967 (read the definitive account of this incredible...

November 3, 2022

Small uptick in Black female coaches at Power Five schools

The Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences have led the way among the so-called power leagues in hiring coaches of color to lead women’s basketball programs. The total number doesn’t suggest a major shift over the past two seasons across 65 Power Five schools with 14 Black women being in charge...

October 25, 2022

Manchester City Women To Stop Wearing White Shorts Over Period Concerns

Earlier this season, fourth-tier Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion Women both announced their women's teams would stop wearing white shorts but the move by the former Barclays FA Women's Super League champions and current Continental Cup holders, Manchester City who feature a plethora of the game's biggest international stars...

October 20, 2022

Billie Jean King says women need to ‘follow the money’ to take next step in fight for gender equality in sports

Now 78 years old and a titan of the sports world, Legendary tennis star Billie Jean King has plenty of thoughts on how best to achieve that ambitious feat. Her top priority is encouraging women to be in business. "It's very important that women follow money, they understand money, they...

October 20, 2022

Chelsea Sodaro Calls For Greater Support Within Professional Sport For Women ‘To Be World Class Athletes And Moms’

20 October 2022. London, UK /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – Following her breakthrough World Championship win in Kona, Chelsea Sodaro has called for greater equality in sport, arguing that women should not have to choose between being world class athletes and being mothers. Reflecting on her victory earlier this month, the 33-year old American...

October 4, 2022

Yosemite Hiker’s Epiphany Leads to Vigorous Efforts Toward Change

Teresa Baker wants everyone to experience the ‘cathedral-like’ beauty of nature — especially POC and others who have historically been excluded. GJ

October 3, 2022

NWSL, U.S. Soccer ‘Repeatedly Failed’ to Protect Players

A lengthy independent report detailed “emotional abuse and sexual misconduct” faced by players, mistreatment described as “systemic” beyond just women’s professional soccer. The 172-page report by the law firm King & Spalding released Monday detailed not only NWSL’s lack of action to protect players, but also the failures of the...