The oppression of women has been an issue for ages. For a long time, women were told to stay in the house and cook and clean. Let's not forget that they also weren't allowed to vote until 1920. Women had finally gained a right that was given only to men. For ages, women have fought to be seen as equal.
Today, the oppression of women is swept under the rug. From the glass ceiling to unequal pay, women have been struggling to obtain the respect that is so easily given to men. It wasn’t until I had to do research for a class project that I realized the oppression of women is present in many more industries than we think.
Women in the sports industry are not given the same respect as their male counterparts. Generally, female sports players get paid less compared to men. Some sports have different rules for both genders, like tennis, where the women play fewer matches than men and the ball they use is smaller. The sport I focused my research on was women’s basketball, a sport I have played since I was in first grade.
Growing up, the basketball I knew was the NBA. The Lakers, Clippers, and the Celtics, to name a few. It wasn’t until the fourth grade when I found out what the WNBA was. A professional women’s basketball league! Seeing Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie score point after point made my jaw drop. There were girls doing the same thing as Kobe and Shaq, and for the first time, I had acquired female role models to look up to.
Female role models in the sports industry are vital for girls all around the world. Women are seen as dainty, gentle, and feminine. Having these women to look up to challenges that stereotype. Women in sports are strong, aggressive, and passionate. For me, knowing that there were women playing just as hard as men was so awesome. Seeing them dunk was even more incredible. Having women to look up to changed my outlook on the game of basketball. I was more confident knowing that if I wanted to, I could potentially be on the court in the WNBA. No longer was basketball just a form of entertainment; it was a form of inspiration, and not just for girls playing basketball, but for all girls.
Today, many female sports are overlooked, or even seen as a joke. Women's sports are not taken seriously compared to male sports. In American society, we shame female masculinity in sports. Women are either over-sexualized or critically judged for playing “like men.” The sports industry is a male-dominated industry, and it is time to make some changes. Women are just as capable of playing sports as men.
Women in the professional sports realm are constantly trying to progress the game and make it more acceptable for both genders to play. Because of their courage and skills, I was inspired as a child. Why is there an issue when it comes to women being just as good players as men in the sports world?
Hopefully sometime soon, female sports players will gain the respect they deserve. Not only would the popularity of female sports inspire girls all around the world, but it would be a big step for our society to accept women in the sports industry.
