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.-
January 5, 2022
Carlos Cordeiro seeks U.S. Soccer president post 2 years after resigning under pressure sources say
Cordeiro was elected as USSF president in 2018, but resigned nearly two years later amid a backlash to court filings relating to the equal pay lawsuit filed by members of the U.S. women's national team. Cordeiro and the USSF claimed that the women "do not perform equal work requiring equal skill...
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January 3, 2022
The 101 most stunning women’s sports photos of 2021
Sports rebounded from the punishing COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, allowing women's sports leagues, teams, and athletes to enjoy one of their most successful and memorable to date. Getty Images captured it all, so Insider spoke with several of the brand's top sports photographers about how they captured some of the...
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December 29, 2021
UConn settles lawsuit with women’s rowing team; program extended through 2026 season, receives number of upgrades
UConn reached a settlement Wednesday with 12 members of the women’s rowing team who had filed a Title IX lawsuit when the university had eliminated the program amidst budget cutting in the athletic department. As part of the agreement the school has agreed to keep the team through at least...
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December 22, 2021
Salazar’s lifetime ban upheld by SafeSport Center
Track coach Alberto Salazar’s appeal of his lifetime ban for sexual misconduct was rejected by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in the latest, and likely final, defeat of his once-storied career. The 63-year-old Salazar was handed the lifetime ban in July, but appealed the case. His entry in the SafeSport...
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December 22, 2021
The Rise of The Female Sports Director – How Pro Cycling Is Changing
The role of the sports director has traditionally been a male job, even in women’s sport. As world champions Anna van der Breggen and Chantal van den Broek prepare to manage teams, Owen Rogers found out how the sport is changing. Rouleur
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December 17, 2021
Why Did the WTA Risk Everything for Peng Shuai?
Steve Simon didn’t start the year expecting to be in central Mexico in mid-November. But COVID-19 has made improvisers of us all, including the CEO of the WTA Tour. He anticipated closing out the 2021 season in Shenzhen, China, at the WTA Finals, the event from which the Women’s Tennis...
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December 14, 2021
USA Gymnastics, USOPC reach $380M settlement with victims
The legal wrangling between USA Gymnastics and the more than 500 victims of sexual abuse by former national team doctor Larry Nassar, among others, is over after a $380 million settlement was reached, ending one aspect of the fallout of the largest sexual abuse scandal in the history of the...
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December 10, 2021
Charlton Athletic receive huge backlash over ‘bizarre’ women’s team rebrand proposal
Charlton Athletic are coming under serious scrutiny from many within the women's football community after proposing a rebrand on their women's team. A move, spearheaded by club owner Thomas Sandgaard, will see Charlton Women become 'Charlton Ladies,' received poorly by supporters, players, and former professionals of the game. GIVEMESPORT
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December 8, 2021
China Unleashed Its Propaganda Machine on Peng Shuai’s #MeToo Accusation. Her Story Still Got Out.
The allegation reached the heights of Beijing’s opaque political system, and officials turned to a tested playbook to stamp out discussion and shift the narrative. The tactics have helped Beijing weather a series of political crises at home in recent years, including the 2019 protests in Hong Kong and its...
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December 4, 2021
Eagles’ Jalen Hurts champions women empowerment for ‘My Cause, My Cleats’
Inspired by the women in his life, Philadelphia Eaglesquarterback Jalen Hurts is using the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative to advocate for women in sports and beyond. "Women Empowerment" is written on one of the designer cleats for Sunday's game against the New York Jets, while the other shines...
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December 3, 2021
Chinese Sponsor Distanced Itself From Women’s Tennis Before WTA Pulled Events From China
The Women’s Tennis Association said that its largest Chinese sponsor asked last week to be removed from the organization’s website, the latest sign of tension between the tour and China after a sexual-assault allegation against a former Chinese government official was made on the verified social-media account of tennis pro...
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December 1, 2021
Women’s tennis tour suspends China events over Peng concerns
In the strongest public stand against China taken by a sports body, the head of the women’s professional tennis tour announced Wednesday that all WTA tournaments there would be suspended because of concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former government official...
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November 28, 2021
WA study finds female Olympians recieve more online abuse than men
A recent study published by World Athletics (WA) revealed that female athletes competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were the target of 87 per cent of all online abuse directed at Olympic athletes during the Games. According to WA, the results of the study indicate that more needs to be...
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November 21, 2021
Peng Shuai situation explained: International Olympic Committee holds video call with Chinese tennis star
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai hasn't been seen in public for 18 days and counting. This comes after she accused a former Chinese Communist party leader of sexual assault on Nov. 2. It has created significant concern within the WTA and tennis community over her whereabouts. CBS Sports
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November 17, 2021
IOC Abandons Testosterone Rules for Transgender Athletes
On Tuesday the International Olympic Committee published a groundbreaking document titled “Framework on Fairness, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations.” The ten-point guide advises individual Olympic sports on how best to create new rules governing such athletes. Under the new guidelines, the IOC forbids governing...
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November 4, 2021
Sara Björk: An Example For Women Returning To Play Soccer After Pregnancy
In April, Gunnarsdóttir, currently under contract at French side Olympique Lyonnais until June 2022, announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child and were returning to stay with her relatives in Iceland to carry her pregnancy to term. Last month, her sponsors PUMA revealed that in collaboration with...
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November 3, 2021
Why the CEO of Wild Rye Started Women Led Wednesday
Cassie Abel, co-founder of Wild Rye, a mountain bike and ski apparel brand, launched Women Led Wednesday, and started promoting it on social media through a hashtag, then its own account, and a website that now hosts a directory of some 500 women-identifying owned businesses across two dozen industries like...
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November 1, 2021
Handball Federation gets rid of bikini uniform rule after accusations of sexism
In a new development, the International Handball Federation (IHF) has changed their uniform policy for female players. Women will now be allowed to wear bike shorts and tank tops, replacing a previous ruling of bikini bottoms and crop tops. The move comes after the European Handball Federation (EHF) imposed a...
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October 29, 2021
For women’s sports coverage, the landscape is shifting
In a new global research report, The Coverage Gap: A Step Towards Leveling Visibility and Viewership Disparity in Women’s Sports. The survey’s bottom line: There is still a massive disparity in the amount of coverage women’s sports receive in broadcasted games and media, but the landscape is shifting and there are...
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October 27, 2021
2021 Sport 4 Life Grants Serve Girls of Color in 23 States, Expanding into the Native American Community
New York, NY (October 27, 2021) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ — The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) announced the 2021 grant recipients of the Sports 4 Life program, a national initiative to increase sport participation and retention of African American and Hispanic girls, and now Native American girls as well. A total of...
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October 25, 2021
Women athletes allege body shaming within Oregon Ducks track and field program
Six women athletes who left the University of Oregon track and field program in recent seasons say they felt devalued as individuals and at risk for eating disorders because of the program’s data-driven approach to their weight and body fat percentages. Five of the women departed with remaining eligibility. One said...
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October 21, 2021
Adidas joins Black Women’s Player Collective as long term partner, commits to building mini soccer pitches by year’s end
In an effort to abolish barriers standing in the way of future advancements in the game of soccer, Adidas and the Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC) are teaming up to change the narrative of Black women and girls in soccer by demanding equity, representation and access at all levels of the game....
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October 19, 2021
Around 2,500 images reported under JOC initiative aiming to stop sexualisation of female athletes
A Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) initiative aimed at preventing female athletes from being photographed in a sexualised manner when competing in their events has seen around 2,500 non-consensual objectifying images submitted in complaint. The service was launched last November, with female athletes able to report sexualised images from competing in...
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October 18, 2021
Media Outlets, Stop Sexualizing Women in Sports
A study by the Cambridge University Press evaluated the language used to describe men and women athletes across sports media, including written articles and commentary during broadcasts. Researchers found a real disconnect between how men and women are portrayed. Read about these women's experiences on Outside.
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October 18, 2021
Texas set to ban transgender girls and women from participating in female school sports
The Texas House of Representatives claims that the law, which would apply to public school teams through high school, protects fair competition. Current rules state that testosterone level in serum must remain below 10 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category, which is based...
