Empowering Women in Sports: Athletes Talk

In 1972, girls and women were finally granted equal opportunity to pursue sports in education with Title IX. “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” a section of the Title IX amendment reads. Prior to the law passing, women and girls weren’t given opportunities to pursue many sports and were not granted scholarships. There’s still a lot of work to be done, as many sports have no professional women’s teams and there is a wage gap between men and women athletes. Tennis star Billie Jean King, a pioneer of the amendment, proved the nonbelievers wrong when she beat Bobby Riggs in a match deemed the “battle of the sexes.” Today, women and girls thrive in sports and empower their peers to do the same. Yahoo Beauty has had the opportunity to interview some women athletes that are serious movers and shakers. On National Girls and Women in Sports Day, here’s what they have to say about empowerment.

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