WASHINGTON, D.C. – Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) today announced that the 2023 National Women’s Sports Week, which will run from June 19 through June 25, will promote equal athletic opportunity for both sexes.
National Women’s Sports Week celebrates the incredible expansion of opportunities for female athletes since the passage of Title IX in 1972 and recognizes the role of Title IX in guaranteeing equal athletic opportunities. The week also honors the coaches and parents who empower female athletes.
Unfortunately, activists, bureaucrats, and athletic governing bodies today are intent upon changing the basic premise of Title IX, by allowing biological males to take roster spots, playing time, and awards from female athletes. Independent Women’s Forum is set next week to advocate for the continued existence of single-sex sports and to champion female athletes who are speaking out to try to preserve the integrity of women’s sports.
“National Women’s Sports week rightfully honors all female athletes who are committed to their sport and promotes the fact that men and women are equal but not the same, showcasing commitment to equal athletic opportunity for both sexes. As an athlete, I’m glad Independent Women’s Forum formally designated National Women’s Sports Week, to be observed annually, so that Americans always remember the significance of Title IX and never give up the fight to keep women’s sports female,” said Riley Gaines, Independent Women’s Voice advisor and 12x All-American swimmer.
“Being a female athlete has taught me valuable life skills from time management to perseverance. But, by allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports, we are removing the opportunities of other females to build these skills and opening them up to potential injuries. I may be one of the first female athletes injured by a male to speak up, but I will surely not be the last if this continues,” said Payton McNabb, Independent Women’s Forum spokeswoman.
“Title IX transformed sports by guaranteeing equal athletic opportunities for members of both sexes. Unfortunately, many schools are today violating the statute’s equal opportunity mandate by allowing males to take roster spots, playing time, and awards from female athletes,” said Jennifer C. Braceras, Independent Women’s Law Center director.
BACKGROUND:
Kicking off the inaugural National Women’s Works Week in 2022, Independent Women’s Forum, together with its grassroots membership arm Independent Women’s Network, registered an official National Women’s Sports Week observed annually during the week of June 23 to recognize female athletes — past, present, and future — for their athletic participation and achievement in sport.
National Women’s Sports Week coincides with the 50th anniversary of Title IX, landmark legislation passed in 1972. Title IX transformed sports by guaranteeing women and girls the right to equal athletic opportunities.
Independent Women’s Forum is leading the fight to preserve the integrity of women’s sports. Learn more below:
- IWF works to protect women’s rights and preserve women’s spaces with the Women’s Bill of Rights HERE.
- On the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, IWF last year led the “Our Bodies, Our Sports” rally, which featured an historic number of female athletes on one stage to urge policymakers to keep women’s sports female. Watch HERE.
- IWF and Independent Women’s Law Center have produced a first of its kind report entitled, “Competition Report: Title IX, Male-Bodied Athletes, and the Threat To Women’s Sports,” to help athletic associations, policymakers, and courts understand the growing threat to female athletes. Read HERE.
- IWF’s Female Athlete Storytelling Drive featuring real stories from real women athletes can be found HERE.