ACTIVISM
Want to stay up to date on the latest press releases and news about activism within the women's sports industry? Scroll below to view all women's sports activism news.-
June 6, 2022
Canada Women’s Soccer Pushes for Equal Pay as Men’s Team Goes on Strike
The Canadian women’s national soccer team is pushing for equal pay — while making it clear that receiving the same percentage of their World Cup prize money as the men’s team will not close the pay gap. The women’s team is also in the midst of contract negotiations, and will...
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June 1, 2022
Albany High girls’ track team members suspended after starting petition over sports bras
A debate over whether Albany High School girls’ track and field athletes can wear sports bras without jerseys during practices has resulted in suspensions, disrupted the team’s season and soured the relationship among students, parents and school officials. Times Union
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May 30, 2022
Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women In Sports
Sports Illustrated and Empower Onyx are putting the spotlight on the diverse journeys of Black women across sports—from the veteran athletes, to up-and-coming stars, coaches, executives and more. The 100 Influential Black Women in Sports series aims to foster an environment where Black women can share their inspirational stories and impact on the...
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May 24, 2022
Girls Soccer Network joins Miss Kick FC as Official Kit Sleeve Sponsor
Los Angeles, California, May 24, 2022 /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ - Girls Soccer Network is excited to announce their kit sponsorship with debutants WPSL team Miss Kick FC for the upcoming summer season! This brings together two brands on two different continents that have a strong connection with female soccer culture as...
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May 19, 2022
Female Officials to Ref Men’s World Cup for 1st Time in 2022
In a breakthrough for gender equality, FIFA confirmed Thursday that female referees will officiate a men’s World Cup for the first time at this year’s edition in November. World soccer’s governing body will assign three female refs — Stéphanie Frappart of France, Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda, and Yoshimi Yamashita of...
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May 18, 2022
We Know Our Place: BBC Creative’s new short film celebrates women in sport
Launched during the Women's FA Cup final on BBC One, the one-minute film challenges the stance that 'women should know their place' and replaces it with the powerful, celebratory phrase 'we know our place'. The film highlights the passion, dedication and success of female athletes, from young girls finding their...
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May 18, 2022
US Women’s and Men’s Soccer Team to Receive True Equal Pay in Landmark Deal
Today, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the United States Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) and the United States National Soccer Team Players Association (USNSTPA) have agreed to terms of historic collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) that will also improve non-economic terms, including player health and safety, accomdations, training enviorments,...
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May 16, 2022
Puma Made a Literally Unlevel Playing Field, Targeting Inequality in Sports
Sometimes, the quest for equality in sports can feel like a grueling uphill battle. Frequently marginalized, underfunded or just plain ignored, women's teams and leagues continue to struggle. Meanwhile, their male counterparts enjoy disproportionately higher levels of funding, promotion and media attention. A woman's place is not on the football...
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April 28, 2022
How Women’s Sports Teams Got Their Start
As the 50th anniversary of Title IX arrives in June, historians are reflecting on the legacy of women’s sports teams and whether it’s time to stop segregating some sports by sex. NY Times (paywall)
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April 21, 2022
Bras for Girls Launches as 501c3 Non-Profit Organization
SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 21, 2022/SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – Bras for Girls has formally launched as a 501c3 non-profit organization. The mission originated in 2017 as an internal giveback initiative for Oiselle, a women’s running apparel company that aims to increase girls’ and women’s participation in movement. As of today, the...
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April 16, 2022
Boston Marathon marks 50th anniversary of welcoming women
Fifty years after eight women lined up alongside the men — the first official female entrants, but not the first ones to run the race — more than 12,000 women are entered in the Boston Marathon on Monday, when it returns to its traditional Patriots Day spot in the schedule...
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April 14, 2022
A new Boston Marathon goal: Become more inclusive to local Black runners
Tiffany Chenault, a recreational runner and sociology professor at Salem State University, is a member of the Boston Athletic Association’s new Boston Running Collaborative, which aims at supporting a diverse community of runners in Boston and expanding access for communities of color. Over the past year, the B.A.A. has been...
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April 14, 2022
Stories Behind the Most Powerful Women’s Sports Imagery
Here is the starting point for a new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, In-Focus: Women’s Sport Through The Lens, a deepdive into the Getty Images archive charting the visual depiction of sportswomen and how it has evolved over the last 50 years. Bassett News
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April 12, 2022
Kathrine Switzer still rewriting Boston Marathon history 50 years later
Switzer has spent much of the past year in capture mode, compiling 600-word biographies on the seven other women who toed the Boston Marathon starting line in 1972, when they were first officially recognized. Metro Daily News
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April 12, 2022
Meet the Texas Lady Crushers, Climbing’s Newest Women-Led Group
The Texas Lady Crushers offer rock climbing clinics, retreats, and volunteer opportunities to women and nonbinary individuals. Perhaps the broader lesson here is that everyone wants to feel and be seen. And the Texas Lady Crushers give traditionally underrepresented folks an empowering place at the table. Plus, they make space...
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April 6, 2022
Pepsi unveils ‘Cracker Jill’ version of ‘Cracker Jack’ to promote women’s sports
PepsiCo announced this week it is unveiling new characters named “Cracker Jill” as part of its “Cracker Jack” brand in an effort to promote the accomplishments of women in sports. NY Post
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April 6, 2022
Athletes repeat call for independent investigation into “toxic culture” at Gymnastics Canada
Over 300 gymnasts have called for an independent investigation into a "toxic culture and abusive practices" at Gymnastics Canada. The call was initially made by more than 70 current and former Canadian gymnasts, which the Global Athlete group claimed has now risen to more than 300 signatories. Inside The Games
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April 5, 2022
The Bounce Podcast Debuts on NPR
/SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – “The Bounce: Sports Talk With a Spin” is a new podcast hosted by award-winning filmmaker Jill Yesko that takes aim at women and girls who are athletes, weekend warriors or fans, and offers listeners the straight dope on sports. Running the third Thursday of each month on WYPR, Baltimore’s...
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April 4, 2022
Gender Equity Fuels Debate Over Moving Final Fours to Same City
The NCAA has traditionally hosted the men’s and women’s Final Fours in different cities, but that setup has been called into question because of gender equity issues. In 2013, Big East commissioner Val Ackerman suggested hosting both Final Fours in the same city in a white paper — though the...
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March 28, 2022
How Black Women Surfers Are Transforming a White-Dominated Sport
A growing number of women of color are promoting surfing as a recreational and professional sport for Black women and girls. Others include SurfearNEGRA, Textured Waves and Brown Girls Surf. According to an article in Surfer Today, 23 million people surf worldwide, around 2.8 million of them in the United States. But there are...
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March 28, 2022
The N.C.A.A. Undervalued Women’s Basketball. Marketers Didn’t.
In the wake of the outrage sparked by Prince’s video, the 2021 women’s championship game, a thrilling win by Stanford over Arizona, outdrew the average N.B.A. playoff game last season. This year, TV ratings rose drastically for women’s games. And the N.C.A.A. women’s tournament has continued the upward trend in popularity....
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March 23, 2022
Brittney Griner meets with U.S. officials for first time since Russian detainment in February
U.S. consular officials were able to visit with WNBA star Brittney Griner in Russia for the first time Wednesday and reported that she was in "good condition," a State Department spokesman told CNN. Griner has been in custody since Feb. 17 on charges that she attempted to smuggle vape cartridges...
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March 22, 2022
Adidas Hopes to Tackle Female Runner Safety By Engaging Male Runners
As part of the new Ultraboost 22 launch, Adidas is leveraging the all-female designed release to spotlight a new commitment to female runners globally. Adidas has a network of run clubs that span the globe, and realized an opportunity to use that network for good: to educate the male runners...
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March 19, 2022
Olympic snowboard coach Foley suspended by US Center for SafeSport after sexual misconduct probe
U.S. Ski & Snowboard has confirmed head coach Peter Foley will have no contact with the snowboard cross team while he remains under investigation by the US Center for SafeSport over allegations of sexual misconduct. Inside The Games
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March 18, 2022
The Battle for Equity in NCAA Basketball
An extensive report commissioned by the NCAA found inequity is baked into the very fabric of the tournaments. Conducted by Kaplan Hecker & Fink, it found that revenue distribution, contracts, and even the culture prioritize Division I men’s basketball over everything else. Despite this, women’s basketball has grown exponentially. Ratings have...