Exploring 5 Ways to #BreakTheBias for International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day, or as I like to refer to it, the most important day of the year. Okay, maybe that’s dramatic, but it’s an entire day dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements in all settings! What’s better than that?

This year, the campaign for IWD is #BreakTheBias, which calls for action against the biases, stereotypes, and discrimination women regularly face.

We have seen this front and center with the USWNT in their fight for equal pay against the U.S. Soccer Federation. Though they just won a historic settlement, it was long overdue and took a painstakingly long time to get there. 

The USWNT players paved the way for all girls to keep their rightful place in the sport we love: soccer. Although they won the battle, the fight continues against the biases women face in the soccer world. We can move forward if we do so collectively!

So here we explore five ways to break the bias in women’s soccer:

Stop expecting women to overperform

You know the old saying, “Anything you can do, I can do better”? It seems to have been the unofficial mantra for women’s soccer since its conception.

Women always have to work just a bit harder, score just a few more goals, etc. It feels like girls always have to fight for a fair chance in the soccer world when boys simply have to show up.

While that may not be true in every case, the question persists: when will simply doing our best be enough? It’s natural for girls to be hard on themselves; they don’t need everyone else being hard on them too. 

Support women’s soccer!

How easy does this idea sound? That’s because it is. Yet, women’s soccer is continuously put on the backburner.

The majority of NWSL teams have to share fields rather than having their own stadium. Player sponsorships are embarrassingly less common among NWSL players than with MLS players. The awareness and following of men’s soccer teams are larger than those of women’s teams.

Women’s soccer cannot be expected to grow if the players are alone in supporting their teams. 

Create space for women

The next way to break the bias is creating space for women. Players aren’t the only people who face inequality in soccer; coaches and referees do too. Women can be just as knowledgeable and talented–if not more–and still be passed over for a male competitor.

While men are certainly capable of being in these positions, they are not always better suited. Therefore, we must continue to make way for women to showcase their prowess, whether in leadership roles or on the field. 

Forget about age!

It doesn’t matter if a player is the oldest or youngest on the team. Hard work, dedication, and talent are qualities found among all ages.

We’ve seen women like Carli Lloyd play to the end of her 30s, while players like Trinity Rodman have found professional success starting at 18 years old. Yet, biases against age continue to be prevalent in soccer. Older players bring experience to the team, while younger players come in with fresh perspectives and techniques.

Instead of saying out with the old and in with the new or ignoring the experience of older players altogether, a nice blend of both can help all teams. 

Stop the comparisons

As simple as it seems, this is probably the hardest bias to move past. It’s no secret that men and women are built differently, so why does their skillset continue to be compared?

When considering the fight for equal pay for USWNT and NWSL players, comparisons between their male counterparts are constantly brought up.

While we are on the topic, we can also avoid overly comparing girls to other female players in similar positions. Comparing skills and abilities can help players improve, but going overboard may also lead to negative self-thinking. 

Though these examples are just a few ways we can break the bias, there is still much work to be done before achieving full equality for women. The good news is it is possible for us to one day live in a world where biases in soccer don’t exist! 

Featured image via @internationalwomensday_global on Instagram

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