On the field, the court or in the water we are all equal. We compete against the best of our peers and all strive to finish first. So why then do some professional competitions that feature both women’s and men’s events award unequal purses to the top woman and man? The Women’s Sports Foundation has always stood by the position that professional male and female athletes should receive equal purses when they are participating in the same competition.
Regardless of whether some men’s and women’s events within the same sport differ in consumer popularity, when men and women compete in the same sport venue, such as Wimbledon or the national championship tours, there is no reason to justify paying male athletes higher prize awards. Read the Foundation's position paper on purse equity in professional sports…
ESPN’s Summer and Winter X Games are considered ground-breaking for both female and male athletes of “extreme sports.” In recent years, ESPN opened the door for increased opportunities for women and athletes with disabilities to compete in an international setting. Learn how ESPN has made the X Games more inclusive for often underrepresented athletes and what changes still need to be made in order to provide true equal play for all.
The Women’s Sports Foundation is often asked about its position with regard to the need for players’ associations or collective bargaining unions in professional women’s sports. Read on for the Foundation’s stance on the development of such organizations and recognition of the functionality of such groups.
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