Last week we were joined by the wonderful, Danette Leighton, CEO of Women’s Sports Foundation, and we discussed everything from the gender pay gap and representation in sports, to the political discourse surrounding Women athletes. For this session, lets dive deeper into the world of sports and the real time obstacles hindering female athletes as as VEST Talks about the power of Women in Sports.
From record-breaking viewership at the US Open to the historic FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, women athletes are making waves. We also explore the legacy of Billie Jean King, a pioneer for equal pay.
While progress is being made, there's much work ahead. We discuss some ways we can push for change and the importance of championing athletes who speak out against inequality.
If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co
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Hello and welcome to the best podcast, where we explore the invisible barriers holding women back in the workplace and share stories of women building power collectively. I'm your host, courtney, and today we'll be diving deeper into the world of sports and the real-time obstacles hindering female athletes. Last week, we were joined by the incredible Danette Leaton, ceo of Women's Sports Foundation, and we discussed everything from the gender pay gap and representation in sports to the political discourse surrounding women athletes. Definitely would encourage you to check it out, if you haven't already. To kick off this episode, let's highlight some recent events. With sold out Taylor Swift and Beyonce concerts and a record-breaking Barbie movie.
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Coco Gough continues to show that we need to continue to bet on women. Coco not only won the US Open Championship Women's Title the youngest American to win since Serena Williams in 1999, she brought out crowds and viewers for it. Also, the US Open final averaged 3.4 million viewers, which is a new record for a women's major tennis final on ESPN, and a million more viewers than the men's final. The women's final is also the most streamed match of the tournament. Go Coco. Speaking of the US Open, this year marks 50 years since they awarded equal prize money to men and women for the first time. It was Billie Jean King, back in 1973, who created the Women's Tennis Association and secured sponsorship from Dan Deodorant to ensure equal funding for the US Open Women's and Men's Prizes. The Australian Open didn't commit to equal prize money for men and women until 2001, and the French Open in Wimbledon until 2007, after Venus Williams met with the Grand Slam Committee. However, the gender pay gap still exists in tennis, as some opens still have drastically different payouts. This summer was also the 9th edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, which was held in Australia and New Zealand and attended by almost 2 million fans, surpassing the 2019 World Cup attendance. The final match played to a sold out crowd between Spain and England, with Spain taking the win for the first time.
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Despite these remarkable achievements and record viewership, it's crucial to remember that there's much work ahead. While the US Open and US Soccer Federation have agreed to equal compensation for its players and teams, other sports are still very behind. Organizations, sponsors and broadcasters continue to point to low turnout and performance for the reasons behind the pay gap. We could take up hours on this topic alone. However, we'll leave you with this. It's up to us to continue to champion the athletes speaking out and to hold accountable the organizations that continue these unfair practices, broadcasters and reporters to better highlight and promote women's sports, and sponsors that don't invest in women's sports all year round. Stay tuned for more discussions on the best podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you're ready to level up at work or need a support community, consider becoming a Best Member. Go to wwwbestforco. Can't wait to see you there.