Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Senators Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) in introducing a bipartisan resolution marking February 7th as National Girls & Women in Sports Day. This resolution not only commemorates the remarkable accomplishments of girls and women in sports, but also underscores the need for broader efforts to advance gender equity across the country.
“Last year while attending Megan Rapinoe’s final home game in Seattle, I was reminded again of what is possible when we support women and girls in sports,” said Senator Murray. “I’m proud to be a cosponsor of this bill to recognize the remarkable achievements of women and girls in sports and to recommit to the fight for equal treatment and equal pay for women athletes everywhere.”
With the 2024 Olympics just around the corner and the recent enactment of Equal Pay for Team USA, it is more important than ever to highlight the achievements of women athletes and bring attention to the value they add to sports and our communities. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), only 41.2% of women coach for collegiate women’s teams compared to 90% in 1971, and BIPOC women represent only 7% of those head coaches. The Women Sports Foundation reports that college athletes still comprise only 44% of the total collegiate athletic population, of which only 14% are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. While significant headway has been made in the long history of women’s sports, this resolution will also call attention to the disparities and gaps that still need closing.
In addition to Senators Murray, Butler, Capito, and Cantwell, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Katie Britt (R-AL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) also signed onto the resolution.
Senator Murray has consistently led efforts in Congress to close the wage gap and ensure all women are paid fairly for their work. Murray has pushed the U.S. Soccer Federation to provide equal pay to its athletes, calling for reform in June 2016 after members of the USWNT filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and again in March 2019 when the U.S. Soccer Federation still failed to act. In July 2019, after the U.S. Women’s National Team won their fourth World Cup Championship—and were still not being paid equally—Senator Murray introduced the Athletics Fair Pay Act to help close the gender pay gap in Olympic and amateur sports. Last year, Murray reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act to combat wage discrimination and help close the wage gap by strengthening the Equal Pay Act of 1963, ensuring women can challenge pay discriminations and hold employers accountable.
Full text of the Members’ resolution can be found HERE.
###
English 
Spanish