Hurdling toward equity
Women in sport continue to push boundaries in fight for fair play
A change in attire, a raise in pay, the dismantling of a time-worn policy. From small to monumental, female athletes have, throughout history, routinely changed the game – levelling the playing field for future generations with courageous provocations of equity. In a nod to this year’s International Women’s Day and its official theme, #EmbraceEquity, we take a look at athletes from Canada and beyond who continue to push for equality in pay, sponsorship and visibility.
The Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team
Leading a passionate push for equal pay in sports, members of the Canadian women’s national soccer team are currently facing an ongoing labour dispute after the expiration of their previous deal. Both the women’s and men’s teams recently published a list of grievances to social media, denouncing budget cuts and the unequal treatment of women and men in the sport. Among the women’s specific demands was to receive the same level of backing and preparation ahead of the upcoming World Cup that the men’s team did a year previous for their soccer showcase in Qatar. The women’s team recently donned T-shirts reading “Enough Is Enough” over their uniforms at the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Fla. Olympic champion sprinter Andre De Grasse counts himself among their public supporters, stating that he hopes the dispute will be resolved in favour of the players.
Jaida Lee, Pitcher
At only 16 years old, Jaida Lee made Canadian history by competing in men’s baseball at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. After carrying Newfoundland and Labrador’s flag into the event’s opening ceremonies, Lee pitched 1 1/3 innings for the province in a 17-7 loss to Alberta. The baseball she threw has since been enshrined in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont. In an interview with the CBC, Lee stated, “I’ve had some younger girls from around Canada message me, especially since the flag-bearer thing came out, saying they bought tickets to come watch. I hope that they see that it can happen if they strive to be better and continue pushing and training.”
Sarah Nurse, Hockey Player
Canadian professional ice hockey player Sarah Nurse has made it a personal mission to lead the conversation around diversity, representation and advancing inclusion in her sport. The daughter of a Black Trinidadian father and a white mother, Nurse has spoken extensively about racism in ice hockey, and managed to break new ground in 2022 when she became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in hockey. She’s been quoted as saying, “Being a role model is very important to me and something I take a lot of pride in. I want to encourage young Black females to break barriers in not only hockey but in whatever they set their minds to, regardless of any stereotypes.”
Sania Mirza, Tennis Player
Retiring this month after a remarkable career in tennis, Sania Mirza of India leaves behind a legacy of challenging gender barriers in professional sport. Having won six major titles in her time on the court, she is one of only two Indian women to win a WTA Tour title and the only Indian woman to be ranked within the top 100 in singles — a feat which has challenged her country’s deeply entrenched notions of women in sport. The Regional UN Women Ambassador was recently quoted as saying, “As women, we are given a long list of things that we can’t do, as opposed to being encouraged to go and follow our dreams.… When I started off 30 years ago, no one could picture an Indian girl pursuing tennis as a profession, let alone competing with the best in the world.”