gender equality Archives - Page 3 of 3

Celebrate Women’s History Month with AFH

Posted: March 4, 2019 Updated: March 7, 2019 by Brooke McMillan

It’s Women’s History Month and at Athletes for Hope (AFH), we couldn’t be more excited. We know the many challenges women are facing, but now more than ever, we are hopeful that equality is coming. We’ve seen the legwork of amazing female pioneers in law, science, sports, government, and the arts make way for a new generation of women who are finding their voice and newly added seats at the table.

In January of 2019, we witnessed more than one hundred women sworn into Congress, making this the greatest number of females to represent our country in its 238-year existence. In the same week, we also witnessed the passing of an icon in Bernice Sandler, co-author and Godmother of Title IX, a woman whose advocacy and policy work paved the way for an entire generation of women to pursue those seats in Congress.

In the sports world, we’ve seen historic victories in recent years, like that of the US Women’s National Hockey Team whose fight for pay equality ended triumphantly and was capped with a gold medal in the 2018 Olympics. We watched Serena Williams return to the court at Roland Garros and win her first grand-slam after having a baby. We witnessed Toni Harris sign a national letter of intent as the first female skill-position player to earn an NCAA football scholarship. We beheld a perfect performance from Katelyn Ohashi whose floor routine mesmerized Twitter users around the world. And we wait in anticipation for what’s set to be some of the very best women’s football ever to be played at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.

At AFH, we are responding to the requests of our amazing athletes and ramping up opportunities for women and men to get involved in the fight for gender equality. This month, we’ll roll out new activations designed to expand our base and reignite our veterans. Through speaking engagements, global mentorship, virtual school visits, sports equipment drives, and a new gender equality motivation pack, we aim to strengthen our team and prepare for the next wave of opportunities. Consider yourself recruited.

By following us on social (Twitter: @ath4hope | Instagram: @athletesforhope), you’ll find inspiration and new ways to use your skills to make a difference. Using #SistersInSport, join us in spreading hope and promoting equality by sharing photos, videos, and tribute posts to the women in your life who have wowed you with their athletic feats or supported you to reach yours. We’ll see you in the social sphere!

Advocating for Gender Equality in Africa

Posted: June 25, 2018 by Brooke McMillan

With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Athletes for Hope has teamed up with our partners at Hive to address the overarching theme of gender equality. The goal of this initiative is to accelerate the pace of change by engaging influencers to help lead the conversation on gender equality. In that spirit, members of our team recently traveled to both Kenya and Tanzania with the purpose of meeting with athletes and teams that are willing to lend their platforms to taking a stand on this critical topic.

The week began in Nairobi, Kenya where we were joined by leaders of various prominent sporting leagues including the Kenya Rugby Union and Football Kenya Federation as well as individual athletes eager to join the #Better4Kenya program. We also met with The Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), which utilizes the platform of sport to engender broad socio-economic development and effect social change.

The second portion of our trip took place in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Gender equality was of great importance to those we met with, some of whom included former track and field legend and current Tanzania Olympic Committee Secretary General, Filbert Bayi, as well as members of the Tanzania Football Federation. Three major issues under the umbrella of gender equality that our #BoraKwaTanzania campaign will emphasize includes girls education, female menstruation/hygiene and women’s economic empowerment. AFH also met with the Msichana Initiative, an organization established to advocate for the girl child’s right to education in Tanzania. Organizations like the Mschiana Initiative are imperative to achieving gender equality in Tanzania and we look forward to working with them in the future.

When our founders joined forces, they did so with the belief that Athletes for Hope would be uniquely positioned to utilize the power of sport to address some of the most daunting issues of our time, including equality for all. It is with this belief, that we remain committed to tackling gender equality and we are excited about continuing our work with both influencers and national governing organizations in Africa.

AFH joins forces with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, SXSW & Women’s Sports Foundation to Promote Gender Equality

Posted: March 13, 2018 Updated: March 19, 2018 by bsanchez

This month, AFH elevated the important conversation about gender equality across continents, on digital platforms, and closer to home at SXSW.

AFH has teamed up with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and HIVE to create an initiative in Kenya and Tanzania aimed at addressing the overarching theme of gender equality through the lens of economic empowerment. To do so, a powerful network of key Kenyan and Tanzanian voices from the arts, sports, business, and activism have come together to use their platform to help advance this important issue. The list of highly curated influencers includes those at the pinnacle of their professions such as Sharon Mundia, Adelle Onyango, Caroline Mutoko, King Kaka, Tegla Loroupe, and Paul Tergat. This past week we officially launched this initiative and we will have more information about concrete actions that the group will take to further gender equality over the next few months, so stay tuned!

On International Women’s Day, AFH and the Women’s Sports Foundation convened 40 athletes from 10 sports for a twitter chat about gender equality. Incredible athletes such as US Track & Field Olympian Michelle Carter amplified the conversation by lending their perspectives on issues such as women in leadership roles within sports, the #MeToo movement and the various ways in which athletes can use their platform to help move the needle on gender equality. The chat generated over 2.7 million impressions! In case you missed it, a recap of the conversation can be found here.

A few days after the Twitter Chat, AFH hosted a Panel at the South by Southwest Festival. The riveting conversation was facilitated by ESPN Reporter & Commentator Kate Fagan and featured 2018 U.S. Olympic Hockey Gold Medalist Hilary Knight, US Soccer Legend Abby Wambach, and WNBA Player Layshia Clarendon. The world-renowned athletes discussed their life experiences and how they are using their platform to bring greater attention to equality issues. One of the main themes from this conversation was the importance of uplifting women in the sports arena by increasing viewership of female sports and encouraging others in their daily lives to speak up when others degrade female sports. Further, they discussed how many women in leadership roles were athletes and emphasized the importance of investing in female athletes. For the full audio click here!

Here are a few featured comments from our SXSW panelists and CEO:

“We are witnessing a cultural shift, women are banding together to fundamentally change the way society treats us. With and because of these brave women, I won’t be silenced, ever again” – Layshia Clarendon

“Make your voice be heard regardless of the circumstance. Be courageous and fight for what you believe in.” – Abby Wambach

“AFH is very proud to host such an important conversation with four amazingly passionate panelists around the topic of equality in sports. We are committed to helping level the playing field and the SXSW panel was an important part of that initiative.” Athletes for Hope CEO, Ivan Blumberg

These moments will serve as a launching point for Athletes for Hope to work more closely with its athletes and partners to further gender equality through additional discussions, but more importantly, to work together in taking concrete actions to close the gender gap.

Athlete Volunteer Opportunity: Girls in Sports

Posted: March 1, 2017 Updated: March 1, 2017 by bsanchez

Did you know that adolescent girls experience an 83% drop in activity levels and are less likely to participate in physical activity? They drop out of sports at twice the rate as boys! Lower rates of female exercise during adolescence are often attributed to shifting concerns around beauty, femininity and access to sports options in schools. As athletes we know how beneficial sports can be, but we need your help to drive this point home.

On March 8^th, the world celebrates International Women’s Day, and AFH invites you to join us in honoring this day by encouraging young women to stay active through one of the following activities:

Commit to a Let’s Move! Active School visit March 6-17 to encourage young girls, and boys, to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity throughout their day.
On March 8^th from 12-1pm EST, join Athletes for Hope and U.S. Women’s Soccer legend Julie Foudy for an important #GirlsinSports Twitter Chat that will discuss ways athletes can motivate and inspire adolescent girls to become more physically active.

Want to know how to get involved? Email Us! Let’s make getting girls involved in sports a national priority.

Take Aways from the Equality In Sports Twitter Chat

Posted: June 27, 2016 Updated: September 21, 2021 by bsanchez

Athletes for Hope and the Women’s Sports Foundation hosted a Twitter Chat in honor of the 44th anniversary of Title IX. The #EqualityInSports Twitter chat brought together an incredible group of nearly 60 organizations and athletes to talk about gender equality in sports and what we can do to help female athletes have all the resources they need to succeed. Here are the top 6 take aways from the chat.

Title IX Has Improved Women’s Access to Sports

Many of our athletes are too young to know the true impact that Title IX had on women’s access to sports. In a way this is a good thing. Less time struggling to prove value of women’s sports means more time devoted to improving your skills as an athlete. We do; however, know that the road to Title IX was not an easy one and things are clearly still not equal. More and more women are involved in sports at the collegiate level because of Title IX. This will lead more and more to push for professional level sports for women.

Inequality Remains for Female Athletes

This chat is a timely one. The USWNT is in the middle of an epic fight for pay equality. Women are headed to Rio to proudly represent our country at the Olympics. The US, and the world, are watching. During the chat the group agreed that gender inequality in sports is just one example of a larger issue. Our partners at the Women’s Sports Foundation suggested a global approach and Girls Inc. Louisiana sees a major cultural shift is needed.

Men Play a Role in Gender Equality

Men are coaches, training partners, heads of governing sports bodies, dads, and patrons of the game. Our group came up with great suggestions for how men can be champions for women in sports. Take away here? We must educate our young male athletes to be respectful and we must push for more gender diversity from the top down and bottom up.

Young Female Athletes are Counting on You

Participants talked about the female athletes that inspired them growing up and everyone agreed that mentoring is imperative to keep moving forward towards gender equality in sports.

Athletes for Hope Can Help You Inspire Others

If there is one thing you take away from this chat, let it be that Athletes for Hope can help you continue the conversation about equality in sports. We want to help you make meaningful connections with schools and organizations to inspire girls to get involved in sports. Whether it is setting up a school visit through our partnership with Let’s Move Active Schools or volunteering with a group like Girls on the Run, Athletes for Hope can help make that happen. Please contact our team today. Let’s keep up the momentum!

To view highlights from the chat, go here.

#EqualityInSports Twitter Chat Thursday

Posted: June 22, 2016 by bsanchez

Athletes for Hope & The Women’s Sports Foundation invite you to join the #EqualityInSports Twitter Chat on June 23rd from 12:00-1:00pm EST in honor of the 44th anniversary of Title IX.

Despite the progress we have seen from the passing of Title IX, much work remains, both domestically and globally, and our discussion will focus upon the strides women have made in sports and society as well as confront the inequalities that still exist today.

You can help us generate awareness for this important conversation and involve your fans by sending this tweet:

Join @Ath4hope, @WomensSportsFdn and pro athletes for #EqualityInSports Twitter Chat 12-1 EST on June 23rd, the anniversary of Title IX.
Cheers,
The AFH Staff