Over the past decade, there has been an evident increase in the number of women who are making prominent contributions to sports. To name a few, Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Alex Morgan, and Simone Biles of them have made valuable contributions to the sports they play. These names are now known as commonly as those of male players. However, it hasn’t always been this way, as women were not given equal opportunities in sports as men were. The influential sportswomen we know today had to break several stereotypes to be where they are today.

Several factors play a role in limiting access to sports-related opportunities for women. The wage gap, gender stereotypes, and lack of marketing of the achievements of sportswomen, all have played a role in discouraging women to enter the field. Moreover, women have been put down by those around them as sports have been considered something which is a fit for men more than women. They are often considered incompetent when they get married or when they get pregnant, as it is automatically assumed that they won’t be able to focus on sports the same way as they used to before.

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Although it took several years, women have now been successful in breaking these stereotypes to some extent. In the 2016 Summer Olympics, there was a considerable increase in the number of women who participated. There is now a substantial increase in the marketing of the achievements of women in sports. People are now more willing to watch women’s sports and there has been an increase in viewership. The popularity of women’s sports is increasing with time, with more sponsors and a greater number of participants. Although there has been a lot of improvement in women’s sports, there is still a long way to go to ensure equality between women’s sports and men’s sports.