Equality in Women’s Athletics: An ongoing struggle
March Madness is one of the most-watched television events in the U.S. today, having millions of viewers streaming the games across all platforms.
Being that the NCAA has the power to influence and set examples for their consumers, the recent information on the athletic association’s lack of awareness or plain, blatant insensitivity to their inconsistencies in the men’s and women’s facilities is a great disappointment. It has long been the mission of committees in sport’s organizations to create an environment where female athletes feel respected and receive fair treatment.
For those that aren’t aware of the recent news surrounding the tournament, the uproar started when pictures of both the men’s and women’s weight room went viral and the discrepancies were atrocious to the point that the entire ordeal seemed like an absurd antic.
After it was clear the issue would not be swept under the rug, the NCAA was quick to make the necessary changes before their mistakes were able to cause any further damage. Unfortunately, the alterations didn’t remedy the fact that the women competing in the tournament were initially treated as an afterthought. I have seen multiple articles written by young women in college athletics, ones not even present at the tournament, expressing their hurt. The entire situation discredited the hard work and dedication that women give to their sports.
Title IX’s intention was to pave a way for educational advancements for women as well as granting them equal opportunity to pursue their passions outside the classroom.
Because the bill was enacted in the early 70s, and the system has had nearly half a century to even out the playing field, the incident shows that equality is not something that people can stop working on or acknowledging because it requires consistent maintenance. Even an organization as large and supposedly well-organized as the NCAA can slip into ignorance, and the damage is sometimes irreversible and extremely discouraging for the women that have given everything and then some to their athletic careers.
