Gender inequality has existed for decades, but it still pains me to put it in writing. It is 2021 and according to Macmillan, on average a woman will spend seven more years performing unpaid work than a man will, at least 40% of women have been harassed while running outdoors, the U.S. is one of eight countries that does not provide paid maternity leave under federal law, and in most professions, men are paid more than their female counterparts. Unfortunately, this is not news to us. Specifically, the topic of the gender wage gap has been discussed for hundreds of years, literally. The iconic slogan, “equal pay for equal work” dates back to the 1860s but it was not until 1963 that Congress passed the Equal Pay Act. Almost 60 years after Congress passed this law, a woman makes 82 cents for every one dollar a man makes. The statistics regarding gender inequality are infuriating, but one of the most sickening facts about unequal pay has to do with sports: male athletes in basketball, golf, soccer, baseball, and tennis make anywhere from 15% to nearly 100% more than female athletes.
Fuming. I am f*cking fuming. But, as I said, this is not news, this is just our pitiful reality.
Sports are male-dominated in general, but the Olympic Games, in particular, are overwhelmingly male-dominated. Female sports did not occur in any organized or formal fashion until the twentieth century (the 1928 Olympics which included only female track and field), and when female athletes would accomplish some remarkable feat, their male counterparts would receive greater fame and financial reward than them. So, with the Summer Olympics just around the corner, let’s highlight a variety of female athletes changing the game.
Starting off strong with two women making a comeback: Chellsie Memmel and Laura Wilkinson. Chellsie Memmel is 32 years old, a mother of two children, and a gymnast who is aiming to compete again in the Olympics. That’s right, I said “again.” Memmel was a member of the United States women’s gymnastics team in 2008 and is now giving herself another go at it. In the recent Olympic trials, Memmel’s performance has been solid enough, qualifying her to compete in nationals. She is defying so many odds and proving that age has no bearing on talent. The next superstar working mom that is deserving of praise is Laura Wilkinson. Wilkinson is a 43-year-old American diver, three-time Olympian, Olympic gold medalist, the first woman to win the three major diving world titles, and a mother of four. Despite the fact that she retired in 2008, she dove right into the 2020 Olympic trials. Although Wilkinson did not qualify to compete in the Summer Olympics, she showed the world what a middle-aged, working mom of four can do. And, in all honesty, my 17-year-old body could not do half of the stunts she does!
Age is indeed just a number, and for Katie Grimes, the 15-year-old swimmer headed to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, this could not be truer. Grimes is the youngest swimmer to qualify for the Olympics since Katie Ledecky, who also made it to her first Olympic Games at age 15 in the same event that Grimes is competing in. Ledecky has won five Olympic gold medals and 15 world championship gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer. She currently holds the world record for the women's 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle, with Grimes finishing just 5.74 seconds after Ladecky in the 800. Unsurprisingly, their impressive performances have landed them spots on the U.S. Olympic swimming team and all I can say to that is, period.
Sports: the universal and recreational activities that are extremely popular and were profoundly segregated in the early 20th century. Although there is a lot of progress that still needs to be made to ensure an equal environment for BIPOC athletes, the Black women competing in the 2020 Olympics show hope for increasingly diverse athletics in the future. As she continues to set world records and rack up championship medals, Simon Biles paves the way for other Black and Brown girls to do the same. The 24-year-old is an inspiration to all and a stunning gymnast who will wow the world as she flips and turns at the 2020 Olympic Games. Additionally, Simone Manuel, the 24-year-old swimmer who locked up her spot on the U.S. Olympic swimming team just last night, will have us all being proud to be an American at the Olympics this year.
This article would not be complete without the mention of Naomi Osaka. The 23-year-old biracial tennis star recently did what so many of us need to do more often: put yourself and your needs first. Osaka received tons of backlash, and not to mention… a $15,000 fine for withdrawing from the French Open as she was struggling with her mental health. She experienced bouts of depression after winning the 2018 U.S. Open and would become highly anxious before a press conference, so, she withdrew… as she should. One’s job should never overpower one’s health, and one cannot be healthy without a healthy mind, so, it is with lots of gratitude that Osaka prioritized herself. As of now, the world’s number two player is set to play at the Olympics, but whatever happens, happens and Osaka’s actions will forever be regarded as brave and empowering.
While all of this praising of female athletes makes me optimistic, I can’t help but think about all of the transgender girls who are being banned from playing sports. Menaces, or shall I say lawmakers, from 27 states are trying to ban transgender athletes from playing school sports. These unattractive, spineless, idiotic, and putrid lawmakers cannot even cite a single instance of transgender participation in athletics that caused conflict, and that’s because there are none. This bill is just another way for transphobic individuals to take control, but it won’t work. No child should have to prove their gender to play their desired sport. No woman should earn 18 cents less than a man for every dollar he makes. No “worldwide” event like the Olympics should be so inaccurate in representing the population of the world. With approximately 1.4 million transgender people on earth, and only one transgender athlete, who happens to be the first in Olympic history, competing in the 2020 Olympics, could not be more incorrect in representing the world.
It’s time our society better represents those living in it. And it’s time that our society answers our century-long call for equality.
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