Women’s History Month is an opportunity to recognize the achievements of women in history who have paved the way for equality. This Women’s History Month 2024 theme celebrates “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” This theme recognizes women who have understood the need to eliminate bias and discrimination from individuals' lives and institutions and worked to combat that bias and discrimination.
4 history-making female athletes
Alice Coachman
Source: The Hoover Cardinal
Alice Coachman was the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, winning the high jump at the 1948 London Games in a then-Olympic and American record. Her victory came 48 years after the Olympics started allowing women to compete. Growing up in the heart of the segregated South, Coachman overcame racial discrimination and unequal access to pave the way for Black female athletes.
Kathrine Switzer
Source: Kathrine Switzer Marathon Woman press kit
Boston Marathon 3-part photo: Credit Boston Herald
In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman ever to officially compete in a marathon. During the marathon, the race manager attempted to physically remove Switzer when he discovered a woman was competing, but her running partners fought him off and she finished the race. In 1974, Switzer won the New York City Marathon.
Billie Jean King
Source: Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo
Billie Jean King made history when she defeated Bobby Riggs in the notorious “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match. In 1973, she won equal pay for women at the U.S. Open. To this day, tennis’s major grand slam events offer equal prize money. Billie Jean King was also one of the first openly gay female athletes and has long fought for LGBTQ+ rights.
Caitlin Clark
Source: Cal Sport Media / Alamy Stock Photo
On March 3, 2024, Caitlin Clark broke the all-time NCAA scoring record in basketball—men’s or women’s. Her college career at the University of Iowa has been dominant, drawing sold-out crowds and skyrocketing ticket prices. Her endorsement deals have earned her an estimated 3.1 million dollars, making her the fourth-highest-paid college athlete. She is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft this year.
The laws that shaped the state of women in sports
● Title IX of the Civil Rights Act. Enacted in 1972, Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. The Act applies broadly across education, but its impact has been most dramatic in women’s sports, providing abundant athletic opportunities for women that had previously been virtually nonexistent.
● The National Labor Relations Act. The NLRA governs labor organizations, but its importance is paramount to professional sports, most of which have Players Associations governed by the Act. The WNBA, NWSL, and USWNT have successfully utilized collective bargaining to obtain equal pay, parental leave, and many other workplace benefits.
● Equal Pay Act of 1963. Recently, the U.S. women’s national soccer team leveraged the Equal Pay Act in a historic lawsuit that resulted in an equal pay agreement with U.S. Soccer that most notably levels player bonuses for international tournaments like the World Cup. The agreement should help to mitigate the disparate prize money offered by FIFA, the sport’s international governing body.
● State Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws. In 2021, California passed the first bill allowing college athletes to make money from their name, image, and likeness, usually in the form of endorsement deals. Several other states followed suit, and the NCAA succumbed to public pressure and changed its own rules. Female athletes have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of NIL, allowing them to capitalize on their net worth during their highest profile years.
● The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. This Act established the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which investigates reports of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in the Olympic movement. Though the organization has been subject to criticism and continues to undergo significant reform, its existence is an important step in preventing and eliminating sexual abuse in sports.
How Hutchinson Black and Cook helps champion female athletes
HBC represents female athletes in Title IX litigation, SafeSport proceedings, and NIL negotiations with the goal of improving opportunities and safety for women in sports at all levels. For more than 20 years, our firm has also been a national leader in sexual abuse victim representation with the expertise to navigate complex cases involving schools, national governing bodies, and private sports leagues.
If you’re looking for support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our Sports Law or Title IX attorneys.