Gender Equality in Sports: Overcoming Stereotypes

Introduction

Gender inequality is a broad topic that can be examined in many different aspects. Today, Gender inequality is a huge issue, and this issue should be addressed, and we should act. I feel that it is very unfair how men and women get treated unequally. A woman and a male can work the same job and do the same exact kind of work, but it seems that men will still get paid more than women because of how society used to treat women in the past and still treats women the same. A woman can work twice as hard as a male and will still receive less pay.

Stereotypes and Unequal Treatment

Gender inequality is affecting women all over the world, and that is why a lot of people should get involved so someone can act. Women have been striving for gender equality for the longest, but for some reason, there has been no change. Unfortunately, women have always taken the backseat in American society. Women have been considered the weaker gender, which is why women get treated unfairly. Gender may not be as simple as it seems, but it comes into play with many different aspects.

We come across stereotypes every day in society without even realizing it. Therefore, women today are stronger than ever. Gender inequality makes them stronger every day. That is why they strive to be the best they can be and they work as hard as possible. They will not stop being the best they can be until this comes to an end.

Breaking Barriers: Empowerment and Striving for Equality

Since women have been introduced to sports, inequality has been a big issue. People feel that women should not play certain sports or men should not play certain sports. Different research shows that women are better at some sports. Women work just as hard as men or even harder when it comes to sports to succeed. Some women’s events bring in more audience than men’s events.

Women are looked at funny and questioned when they want to play a men’s sport. But, men are questioned when they want to play a girl’s sport like cheerleading or gymnastics. Women’s sports have made a huge impact today. No one gives women their props or congratulates them on their hard work. It seems that women’s hard work goes unnoticed, which is not right at all. But, when it comes to males progressing in sports, they get a lot of recognition.

All genders should be treated equally, no matter what. It seems that guys have more privileges and advantages than girls. Most females are stronger and tougher than males, but it goes unnoticed because as soon as females are born, they are labeled and are not able to show what they can do. In general, sports have made great impacts, but a sport that I feel that everyone looks at as if it is only for girls is Gymnastics.

This sport derived from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked,” applied in ancient Greece to all exercises practiced in the gymnasium, the place where male athletes did indeed exercise unclothed. This was introduced in the early Greek civilization. Physical fitness was a highly valued attribute in ancient Greece, and both men and women participated in vigorous gymnastic exercises. Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was a German gymnastics educator; he was known as Turnvater Jahn, which means ‘father of gymnastics’ Jahn.

This sport requires balance, strength, flexibility, strength, flexibility, agility coordination, and endurance. Movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shoulders, back, chest, and abdominal muscle groups. It teaches participants how to move, roll, jump, swing, and turn upside down. But it also provides a sound foundation for Movement. It allows people to develop their whole body.

Championing Change: The Impact of Women’s Sports

I feel that Gymnastics isn’t just for girls. Gymnastics is for everyone! It is one of the hardest sports in the world, and that is what people who have never tried it do not under. No matter age, gender, or ability, you must strive to be the best you can be when it comes to this sport. It is very complicated for most guys to be great at this sport; that is amazing! They deserve their props because this is not easy for others. Some guys are better than girls who have been doing this sport for the longest.

There has also been a turning point when it comes to gender equality in sports because of the day and age we’re in now. There have been several laws passed to try to help prevent people in the USA from participating in sports or being separated based on their sex. It is now 2018, and the game has changed tremendously, yet the pace of change is so slow that it will take a long journey. When I speak of that, I’m mainly speaking about the pay parity within sports that award prize money.

According to bbc.com, in the ranking of the 100 highest-paid athletes, there’s only one woman: tennis star Serena Williams. She has an income that is $66m, lower than Cristiano Ronaldo’s, the world’s top-earning sportsman, according to Forbes. In the 2015 World Cup, the US women’s football team got a $2m reward. Meanwhile, in the male version, the winners were handed $35m just a year earlier.

Another great example is the case of Lydia Ko, from New Zealand, who was a young player to be ranked number one in professional golf, which is amazing. Unfortunately, a golfer who was in 25th position earned more money than Lydia. I feel that this is completely wrong because for her to be young and a hard worker in the first place, it is sad to see how she gets rewarded because of her gender. It is not right to see that spiteful male players at the World Cup can make double that of the women’s side. These were just a few examples of a massive gender pay gap (which plays a role in gender equality) in the world of global sports that’s been standard for decades. Income Between male and female athletes has decreased tremendously over the past years.

No one should be satisfied with progress if true equality of opportunity is the goal. “Women are far more visible in sports today than at any previous point in history,” says UN women in a statement. Almost close to 90% of sports now reward men and women equal prize money, according to a study. Gender should not determine how much one makes or how one gets treated; everyone should be treated equally.

Conclusion

My overall view on gender equality is that even today, men may seem to get more recognition and attention, but women are moving up the charts as well. Women have finally started standing up for themselves and one another, and it’s showing. As I stated in the above paragraph, “We are moving at a slow pace, so it seems like it’s going to be a long journey.” The fact of the matter is that everything’s a process and takes time; we have to continue to strive and know that patience is the key!

References

1. “Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life” by Sanya Richards-Ross
2. “Strong Like Her: A Celebration of Rule Breakers, History Makers, and Unstoppable Athletes” by Haley Shapley
3. “Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink—And How They Can Regain Control” by Gabrielle Glaser
4. “Playing for Equality: Oral Histories of Women Leaders in the Early Years of Title IX” by Diane LeBlanc and Allys Swanson
5. “The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg: American Icon” by Antonia Felix