September 18th 2024.
Aitana Bonmati, the renowned Ballon d'Or winner, has recently signed a new four-year deal with Barcelona, making her the highest-paid woman in football. She is truly an inspiration for young children who aspire to be like her. In fact, she has become so successful that even Hollywood stars are starstruck by her, as we saw when American rugby player and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Ilona Maher attended the Emmys. It's amazing to see how far women's sports have come, like when Chelsea announced that their female players would no longer be able to stop for autographs due to the overwhelming chaos caused by too many kids wanting to meet them. We can confidently say that we've made it and don't need to worry about the future of women in sports.
However, while we've made great progress in the world of women's sports, there are still parts of the world where women are not allowed to attend university, wear miniskirts, or even speak in public. In some countries, women are not even allowed to play sports for their own country. And even when there are international rules in place to promote equality in sports, they can be ignored as long as the men are allowed to play. It's a harsh reality that we must not forget while celebrating the progress we've made.
As a society, we must recognize the importance of women's sports and the positive impact it has on communities. When girls see women playing sports, they are inspired to do the same, and it normalizes the idea of exercise for everyone. It also teaches valuable life lessons about managing challenges and making exercise a habit for life. Unfortunately, there is still a significant gap between how boys and girls envision their futures when it comes to sports. While most girls feel proud and happy watching the Women's World Cup, only 29% of them dream of reaching the top of sports, compared to more than half of boys who have that dream. This is known as the "dream deficit" and it's a result of societal cues that limit what girls believe they can achieve.
It's disheartening to see how society still doesn't take women's sports as seriously as men's, as seen with the reactions towards Alisha Lehmann's comments on the wage disparity between her and her boyfriend Douglas Luiz. Many men are offended at the mere mention of both men's and women's football in the same sentence. This mindset needs to change, and we need to prioritize equal opportunities for girls in sports.
It's heartbreaking to think that in 2024, little girls may not even dream of standing on a pitch and hearing a whole crowd sing their name. Dreams should be for everyone, and we should not limit ourselves based on societal expectations. It's time for society to have a serious conversation about the limitations we put on our girls and encourage them to dream big. Rest in peace, Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci, a football icon and World Cup hero. We must continue to honor his legacy by fighting for equal opportunities in sports.
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