The tennis legend writes, ‘sexism isn’t a women’s issue any more than racism is a Black issue.’
In a new essay, sports legend Venus Williams advocates for gender equality for the latest issue of British Vogue.
Williams is using her platform to speak up for gender equality and equal pay. Williams has penned a letter for British Vogue detailing her professional experience, including being the first female tennis player to receive equal prize money to her male counterparts, and how important gender equality is to society. As she details in the letter, the sports star has “felt compelled to campaign for equality for women” since she won Wimbledon for the first time in 2000.
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At the time, she explains that “the men’s singles champion received £477,500 while the women’s singles champion earned £430,000.”
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Through detailing the history of the fight for equal pay in tennis and connecting it to statistics and facts from today, Williams paints a large picture in a personal way, using her letter to raise awareness and, hopefully, change the landscape of pay in sports.
She explains in the letter, “I firmly believe that sport mirrors life and life mirrors sport. The lack of equality and equal opportunities in tennis is a symptom of the obstacles women face around the world. While Nordic countries such as Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland demonstrate some of the lowest disparities in pay between men and women, Turkey, Bahrain and Nigeria are some of the highest. In the US, women made 82.3 cents for every dollar men made in 2019.”
She also explains her #PrivelegeTax campaign, initiated in an effort to support Girls Inc of Greater Los Angeles.
She writes, “This shocking statistic inspired me to initiate the inaugural #PrivilegeTax campaign to fill the gap via my own lifestyle and activewear company Eleven by Venus Williams. Throughout this month, ahead of Equal Pay Day on 24 March, customers can opt to donate 19 cents at the checkout when they shop with participating brands.”
Source: Venus Williams advocates for gender equality in British Vogue essay
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