WomenSport International Newsletter

It is almost one year since our first electronic newsletter. We hope that you are enjoying this medium of connecting and informing as we work together to build a more equal sport environment.

In December 2021, we invited our Task Force, Committee, and Board members to discuss strengths and areas of improvement as we develop a new WSI two-year strategic plan. Two priority areas were identified: WSI’s visibility and a need to increase our funding resources. The results of the meeting brought forward several excellent ideas and actions. We are formulating a plan based on these suggestions. As we work towards our goals, we hope that you will join us to share your knowledge and experience.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate Dr. Kari Fasting as the recipient of the 2021 IOC Women in Sports Award Winner for Europe. As many of you are aware, Kari was one of the founding members of WSI in 1994. She has continued as an active board member in different capacities, including Board member and Chair of Task Force on Gender Based Violence in Sport. The IOC award is a symbol of opportunity, recognition, and empowerment, honouring remarkable role models and change-makers in advancing gender equity and inclusion. WSI is fortunate to have such women as our leaders.

Kari is the second of WSI’s presidents to receive this honour. In 2016, our first President, Dr. Carole Oglesby, was awarded the IOC Women in Sports Award for the Americas. Carole continues to provide guidance as a past president and director on the Board. She is also co-chairing WSI’s newest Task Force, Sport in a non-binary world. Thank you both for dedicating your lives to make sport a safe and equitable place for girls and women.

Our newer board members are also making their mark. Dr. Kanae Haneishi received the President’s Award from the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE). She also received the 2021 Engaged Scholar Grant from NAKHE to conduct research on ‘Thirdspace Movement to Promote Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’.

Finally, congratulations to Norway for an outstanding performance at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, earning 16 gold medals. The Games also had the highest percentage of female athletes in the history of the Winter Olympics.

WSI is a community of strong women, and we ask that you join us in building an equitable and fair sport environment for all women and girls.

Diane Huffman

President, WomenSport International

WSI kicked off the year 2022 with the “Sport Nutrition for Women in Sport” webinar. Our guest speaker was Ms. Katie Jeffrey, CEO of FitNutrition, LLC. Ms. Jeffrey is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and passionate about mindful eating and fueling. She holds a M.S. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut and is the founder and CEO of FitNutrition, LLC which provides individual nutrition and sports nutrition counseling, nutrition consulting and scientifically based presentations.

During the WSI webinar, Ms. Jeffrey shared her path to becoming the CEO of FitNutrition LLC. Jeffrey draws from her experience as an elite athlete to help others achieve mindful and intuitive eating and fueling. She uses a weight-neutral and non-diet approach to helping athletes optimize performance and increase awareness of hunger and fullness cues. Ms. Jeffrey currently works with student-athletes at Brown University to find a healthy routine that incorporates balance, variety, moderation, and enjoyment.

Here is the link to the recording from the webinar.

We encourage everyone to join WSI. You can find more information here. Membership Benefits are:

• Access to an international network of experts for sharing research, information, ideas, good practices, and actions taken
• Communication regarding research-based strategies to enhance gender equity practices in the sport industries
• Support to enhance opportunities and effect change for women and girls in sport and physical activity
• Invitation to WSI functions at major international conferences

WSI is also active on social media. Please make sure to like and follow us on:

· Facebook

· Twitter

· LinkedIn

We also have our own YouTube page. You can access past webinar recordings as well as other WSI videos. Make sure to like the videos and subscribe to our page!

Lastly, WSI accepts donations through our website here. If you would like more information on how to donate, please contact info@womensportinternational.org.

Thank you for all you do for girls and women in sport! We look forward to continuing to work with you! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact at info@womensportinternational.org.

Kanae Haneishi

Secretary General, WomenSport International

As we approach the 50th anniversary of Title IX in the United States, female athletes reflect on the tireless efforts to establish athletic opportunities. Before 1972, only 1% of college athletic budgets were devoted to women’s sports programs (WSF). Since the passage of Title IX, women’s sports participation has increased by over 600% at the college level (WSF). However, recent reports have highlighted continued disparities in the funding of men’s and women’s NCAA sports. These instances are reminders that the fight for gender equality is an ongoing movement that requires awareness, unity, and action.

In February, America celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day, amid a changing landscape in college athletics. For the first time, student-athletes were given the chance to legally profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). For female athletes, this reform presented a rare opportunity to gain financial power using already-established social media platforms.

For years, female student-athletes had been posting content, gaining followers, and developing personal brands. While social media was once seen as a recreational sport, new rules have turned the digital space into a varsity playing field… with women taking center stage. Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia Dunn, who has 1.3 million Instagram followers, recently signed with American Eagle. At the University of Connecticut, star women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers became the first college athlete to sign with Gatorade. Some predict that Bueckers could earn over $1 million in endorsements.

Only time will tell if the evolving NIL landscape yields higher interest, and financial support, for women’s college sports. For these women, athletic success coupled with the power of social media creates an exciting future of opportunity.

By WSI newsletter assistant editor Peri Sheinin

BBC: Women’s sport attracted record-breaking British audience in 2021

FiveThirtyEight: Figure skating has always blurred the lines of gender segregation

The Guardian: Slow progress continues for women in US sports media

Toronto Star: Women’s hockey deserves its place on the Olympic podium

Compiled by WSI newsletter editor-in-chief Lucas Aykroyd