Sports are unique because they serve an essential role in today’s society. They unite society and have helped break down the historical barriers of prejudice and racism since the 1940s. In addition, lack of gender diversity and sexism have continued to plague the sports world. Women are underpaid, whereas their male counterparts earn higher salaries for doing similar jobs. The widespread acceptance and near equality experienced in sports today is a product of persistent efforts by prominent people who championed equity. Contemporary sports have made considerable progress in reducing sexism and gender inequality due to the introduction of Title IX (Lough & Geurin, 2019). It is critical to review a real-world example of sexism and gender inequality and academic scholarship on the topic.
Following the adoption of Title IX, women were empowered to pursue their ambitions and dreams with no pressure from traditional views of womanhood. The amendment opened doors to careers that men once dominated. Billie Jean King is an influential woman who showed that women’s influence could change society and overcome sexual discrimination in sports (Lough & Geurin, 2019). King started her passion for pursuing her tennis ambition when she was a teenager.
She won the singles in 1966 and the championship three successive times. King is a famous tennis player who won thirty-nine Grand Slam titles and became the first female player to earn $100,000 a year in tennis. Unfortunately, she realized that there were issues in sports since women were discriminated against on many issues, such as prize money, where female tennis players received less cash when compared to men (Lemmon, 2019). As a result, King became interested in the prize money differences and the broader discrimination of women in sports and chose to fight sexism in various ways.
Firstly, she took part in a critical match that changed the outlook of women in tennis and sports in general. The match helped reduce discrimination and prove that women could participate in sports once considered dominated by men. The match was known as the “Battle of the Sexes,” and it revolutionized the way women were viewed in sports in American society. In the 1970s and 1960s, a considerable wage gap was evident between men and women in sports as female players received less money when compared to their male counterparts. When King saw Bobby Riggs defeat Margaret Court, she challenged Riggs to play a match.
Riggs agreed to play in the match, and King knew that the match would uphold women’s honor if she won. She was motivated to win and eventually defeated Riggs in a match that provided an avenue for King to portray how sexism in tennis and sports affected female players (Lemmon, 2019). Furthermore, King’s achievement assisted in legitimizing female professional tennis and was viewed as a victory for the rights of women in general.
Secondly, King engaged in founding various foundations and magazines to educate more women on sexual discrimination. She founded a sports magazine known as Women Sports in 1974, which was read by approximately ninety-eight percent of women. The magazine provided discussions of various issues, a guide on women’s athletic scholarships, and biographies of female athletes. After some years, the magazine became popular, engaging more women to personally discover the benefits of participating in active sports in their lives. King took another monumental step to fight discrimination by establishing the women’s sports foundation to protect athletes and expand sports opportunities for girls and women.
The organization attracted the attention of many people and secured funding from individual donors and sponsors (Lemmon, 2019). Ultimately, both the magazine and foundation contributed to a revolution among women in sports.
Modern feminism became popular in America during the 1960s and 1970s, paving the way for women to live and try revolutionary careers. Through her actions, Billie Jean King showed the world that sexism and prejudice against female players in sports are unacceptable. In addition, women gained improved prize money in tennis due to King’s influence and actions. As a result of her lobbying, the U.S. Open was the first popular tournament to provide equal prize money for women and men (Lough & Geurin, 2019). Her ascension to the top of professional tennis helped leverage her success and demand policy changes, indicating she overcame sexism.
It is imperative to review existing scholarship to understand the existence of sexism and gender inequality in sports. Various scholars have reviewed gender inequality and sexism for women in sports. Musto et al. (2017) review the instances of sexism portrayed in today’s sports world. The research relies on data collected from a longitudinal analysis of the exposure to women’s sports on television. The study indicates that women’s sports coverage has shifted from denigrating acts to respectful and lackluster coverage. As a result, Musto et al. (2017) argue that gender-bland sexism is exhibited in televised highlight shows and news frames women (Musto et al., 2017). Women are depicted in uninspired ways, rendering the achievements of women athletes appear insignificant compared to those of men.
There are considerable differences in the television coverage of male and female sports. Cooky et al. (2021) analyzed and tracked the quality and quantity of female and male sports coverage within the last three decades. Men’s sports receive the most share of television coverage during the out-season or in-season. However, women’s sports stories appear as a single news piece obscured by multiple men’s sports stories preceding them and are usually longer. In addition, while the commentary for men’s sports is colorful and enthusiastic, women’s sports are presented blandly and boringly. Furthermore, when female athletes make community contributions, their stories never make it into news pieces (Cooky et al., 2021). In contrast, men’s community contributions are often elevated in the news.
Women in sports often face sexism in the form of discriminatory practices, which lead to emotional problems. Evans and Pfister (2020) provide a systemic review of women in sports. The study used 154 scholarly articles. The literature reviewed provided the lived experiences of people who faced gender inequity. Women are under-represented as leaders in sports around the world. In addition, organizational culture and patriarchal practices of selection enhance the gender inequity problem. Evans and Pfister (2020) argue that gender bias or sexism occurs because of discriminatory and imbalanced practices based on sex (Evans & Pfister, 2020). Ultimately, sexism in sports happens in the form of person profiling, gendered stereotypes, and patriarchal language, leading to practical and emotional problems for women in sports.
Furthermore, organizational culture in sports helps promote sexism, causing emotional challenges for women managers. Hindman and Walker (2020) explore sexism in the context of female managers in sports and how they navigate the male-dominated field. The study hypothesizes that women are a minority in sports organizations due to sexism, especially in leadership. As a result, the study reviews the experiences of women in sports regarding subtle and overt sexism.
Furthermore, the research study evaluated on such experiences affected women’s careers. The study used journal entries and interviews with female managers who worked in a men’s tournament. The results from the study indicate that organizational culture in sports facilities perpetuates sexism, as evidenced by women being objectified and diminished. The outcomes showed that sexism happens in everyday exchanges with coworkers and supervisors (Hindman & Walker, 2020). The experiences cause emotional and professional consequences, causing women managers to struggle for survival.
Following the verdict by the World Athletics to regulate testosterone levels in female athletes who compete in professional sports, McCalla (2019) explores whether it is a form of sexism or fair play. All people are not born equal; therefore, some athletes have bigger hands, high levels of testosterone, and longer legs. Natural properties such as high testosterone can lead to unfair advantages. Since athletes are not naturally born equal, McCalla (2019) argues that natural properties should be considered fair play. The act of forcing female athletes to suppress their levels of testosterone is unethical, discriminatory, and sexist (McCalla, 2019). Finally, McCalla (2019) argues that athletes do not have control over natural inequalities and therefore are not morally and causally responsible for such disparities.
Since the adoption of Title IX, it is critical to review a real-world example of sexism and gender inequality and academic scholarship on the topic. Women athletes have faced gender inequality and sexism. However, the enactment of Title IX allowed women to participate in activities that were previously performed by men only. Women have fought against gender inequality and sexism and triumphed. For instance, Billie Jean King became a professional tennis player and championed the rights of women in sports. Existing scholarship shows how sexism and gender inequality happen in everyday life in sports. Policymakers can tackle sexism in athletics after understanding the catastrophic effects prejudice has caused women in sports.
References
Cooky, C., Council, L. D., Mears, M. A., & Messner, M. A. (2021). One and done: The long eclipse of women’s televised sports, 1989–2019. Communication & Sport, 9(3), 347-371. Web.
Evans, A. B., & Pfister, G. U. (2021). Women in sports leadership: A systematic narrative review. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 56(3), 317-342. Web.
Hindman, L. C., & Walker, N. A. (2020). Sexism in professional sports: How women managers experience and survive sport organizational culture. Journal of Sport Management, 34(1), 64-76. Web.
Lemmon, M. (2019). Evening the playing field: Women’s sport as a vehicle for human rights. The International Sports Law Journal, 19(3), 238-257. Web.
Lough, N., & Geurin, A. N. (Eds.). (2019). Routledge handbook of the business of women’s sport. Routledge.
McCalla, S. (2019). Sexism or fair play: Intersex women in competitive sports. International Journal of Applied Philosophy, 33(2), 259-273. Web.
Musto, M., Cooky, C., & Messner, M. A. (2017). “From fizzle to sizzle!” Televised sports news and the production of gender-bland sexism. Gender & Society, 31(5), 573-596. Web.