PLATFORM : Women Sidelined

Girls have always gotten the short end of the stick in sports. (The AAF) just released a study on gender stereotyping in televised sports. No one (for example) mentioned that women were competing in the Tour de France. By not talking about it, young girls don’t see women cycling through the Alps. They don’t have the freedom to aspire to the things that guys (do). One of the odd results of Title IX (which directed a fairer share of federal funds to school athletic programs for women) is that there are fewer women coaching. Once the jobs paid competitive salaries, men began going after those jobs--men who had intercollegiate sports experience. Another problem has been scholarships. (Cutbacks) hit women’s sports harder.

While the Olympics have made elite-level sports available, professional opportunities have been limited. It’s hard to find women in positions of authority.