Women’s sports have always been political and politicized.
Throughout history, women in sports have had no other option but to struggle from the bottom up for legitimacy. To be seen on par with men as athletes and to receive the same level of support in terms of resources, media coverage and protection remains an on-going battle. There was a time when women playing sports was considered an oddity: Women athletes were made to be ridiculed at best, or pathologized at worst. In the face of blatant sexism, women have been able to carve out their own place in sports and their fight for status mirrored the broader fight for gender equality.
That struggle has culminated in major breakthroughs for women and girls to participate in sports. One of the most obvious achievements was Title IX, the landmark law passed in 1972 that required schools and universities that receive federal funds to provide equal educational opportunities on the basis of gender.
The result has been a revolution in women’s participation in sports at all levels. It’s also a revolution that increasingly has been televised, as women’s sports, especially women’s basketball, has reached extraordinary heights of interest and popularity. Players and coaches are becoming household names in bunches, with…
