In honor of those who have played and fought for a better world of women’s sports and all those who continue to fight for gender equity, I decided to devote this issue of the sports section of The Justice to female athletes and women in sports. The passing of Title IX in 1972 only opened doors for women and equity in education and sports — there are many glass ceilings still waiting to be shattered. As a little girl, I had a dream of writing about the sports I loved playing — yet, as the Dove Super Bowl commercial noted — 45 % of girls quit playing sports by age 14. 

Women continue to face obstacles, discrimination, and harassment to no end in the media industry, management industry, and at the professional and collegiate level of play. Nevertheless, we persist. We forge new paths, built on the backs of those who came before us and fought for the same thing — equity. Brandeis’ nine women’s sports teams — basketball, cross country, fencing, softball, soccer, swim and dive, tennis, track and field, and volleyball — all display excellence both on and off the playing field. 

I recently started reading “Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America” by Julie DiCaro, and the sexual harassment and discrimination that she writes about not only in the media industry but also in the professional sports industry, which is still present to this day. For women of color, queer women, disabled women, and other marginalized identities, this harassment and discrimination is only amplified.

As much as there are disheartening statistics of how far we will need to go in order to achieve equity, there are great strides being taken successfully. Media organizations such as Just Women’s Sports have begun to focus solely on women’s sports, and every day women’s sports gain more and more viewers. The Big Ten women’s basketball tournament has sold out, and the 2023 women’s soccer World Cup garnered an estimated 2 billion viewers this past summer.

Growing up, as a young queer woman of color, I played baseball with boys, who were great peers, but once I switched over to softball, I truly found my family. No matter what happened off the field, I could always find a community in softball.

I curated this collection of articles to highlight the achievements that women around the world and right here at Brandeis have overcome and what we are still struggling with. We come in all shapes and sizes, and I created this special issue in an attempt to showcase a diverse array. Not only this women’s history month, but in the future, I encourage everyone to support women in sports and female student-athletes, both at Brandeis and off campus — we play with just as much intensity and passion as men do, and deserve equity. And for any little girls reading this, go be you and be proud to play — everyone who has come before you will be cheering you on.