Editor's view: Why gender equality matters to all of us

That was until Monday’s Level the Playing Field Global Forum, produced by the ITF and iSPORTCONNECT, which brought together influential and inspirational individuals from across the world of sport and business to debate and advance the discussion around gender equality.

Masterfully emceed by Catherine Whitaker, the forum proved as inspirational and thought-provoking as it set out to be – and more. (If you missed it, you can watch it back here). It’s been on my mind ever since, along with the questions it provoked. What can I do better? What’s my role in this? Can I really influence change?

If you’re anything like me, a few minutes spent listening to Billie Jean King has you feeling like you’re capable of crafting a castle out of lemons. Her inspirational words translate swiftly into my new life mantras. It’s time to change the status quo. Time to accelerate change. Time to stand up, speak up.

I’m not just here to pinch other people’s quotes. Nor am I here simply to wax lyrical about Billie Jean King – however much I hang on her every word. My aim is to convey that, while I’m not female, the discussion is equally as relevant to me. To all men, in fact.

Monday’s forum made it brazenly clear to the uninitiated that Gender Equality isn’t ‘just a women’s issue’. We all benefit from a sporting landscape and a society that affords equal opportunity.

“It’s about half the population,” King so concisely reminded us. “Don’t ignore half the population in the world. Every human being is so important and such a resource. We’re not using our resources properly. We need to get paid equally in every job. We need more women in positions of power, we need women of colour, we need Paralympians, we need everyone! Inclusion is everything.”

I’m used to powerful women. Two daughters. Two sisters. Two past and present female bosses who have played their part in shaping my professional career. Never mind a better half who helps shape my outlook on life.

I’m in the minority in my household, but perhaps that’s why this topic matters to me. My personal experience isn’t reflected across the landscape of professional sport, nor the business world at large. Kids should have equal opportunity, and equal hurdles to overcome en route to their goals – in sport and business alike. Whichever way you spin it, sport – and society – is far from a level playing field. The ITF’s study into sports gender equality across the media and social media, commissioned as part of the ITF’s Advantage All gender equality strategy, is testament to that.

The findings display “clear differences” in the way male and female players are portrayed, and while the popularity of certain individual athletes and degree of diversity at the top of the rankings might explain some spikes, the picture of disparity is clear.

For me, and for many, the fact that tennis has long been a pioneer for equal rights is a reason to be proud. Our sport is a frontrunner for placing men and women on an equal footing, but even so, we’ve got a long way to go.

Google the “top 50 tennis players”. Only six out of the 50 search results are women. There are numerous other jarring differences in the report.

Change, of course, is slow. It always has been. Billie Jean King is at pains to point that out. It takes time for attitudes and ideals to filter through across cultures and generations, but some have the power to change things overnight, which is why more women and diversity in leadership positions is so important.

The path to getting there, though, is hardly without its roadblocks. As Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the IOC Athlete’s Commission, explained in the ‘Change the System’ panel, some females have not supported their female counterparts in going for high profile positions, for fear of rocking the boat.

“I think that there are women who get to a point of fighting for so long and so hard to get into a position and a role that, with the ever-changing nature of technology and the increase in transparency and good governance, the time that they then spend in those leadership roles is getting shorter and shorter,” she said.

“Some women will support the male candidate over an up-and-coming female, just in case that female loses,” she continued. “They don’t want to rock the boat. We need to learn to be brave, and to follow what Billie Jean was saying: stand up and fight. Be ready to be uncomfortable.”

The speakers in Monday’s second panel echoed those themes. Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, Manchester City and Scotland footballer Caroline Weir and Annika Sörenstam, a 10-time major champion golfer and newly elected President of the International Golf Federation, spoke passionately about the need to be heard, and to empower others, drawing on their own valuable experiences on the ground in professional sport.

“It takes time to change, but we have to empower each other,” said Sörenstam. “There’s so much women can offer - see it to be it. It’s really important to do what you’re promoting others to do.”

Weir, too, cited the power of male allies, highlighting the support she has received from Sir Andy Murray via his 77 Sports Management agency.

“It goes such a long way when he makes his arguments for gender equality,” she said. “He’s leading the way in that sense.”

For the ITF, normalising the appointment of females in positions of power is much more than a concept. Redressing the balance has been a priority piece on the agenda for some time.

“The story really started at the 2017 ITF AGM, when amongst the 113 nations attending, David Haggerty, the ITF President, and myself counted 29 women in a sea of almost 200 delegates. We looked at each other and we said, ‘we have to change this’,” said Chief Operating Officer Kelly Fairweather.

“So, not only are we working towards change in the leadership in tennis governance, but also in the other off court roles. Currently only one in five coaches is a woman, roughly a third of the top level chair umpires are women, although we have some outstanding women in officiating roles.

“Our role essentially is the guardian of the game and it’s our responsibility to ensure that it’s equal opportunity and balanced representation in tennis.”

That’s where Advantage All comes in – a strategy that’s committed to driving meaningful change. You can learn more about what the ITF is doing to empower, inspire and enable women and girls to reach their full potential here.

Of course, policies and strategies are well and good, but it’s the actions that speak loudest.

And in the week that sees the dawn of a new era for women’s team sport with the Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Play-offs, what better way to build on the conversation than by letting some of the world’s finest players show what they’re made of on the court.

Male or female, the stage is ours. Step up, stand up, speak up.