Nike Claims To Support Female Athletes But Fails To Empower Sponsored Women
Nike, the multi-billion dollar sportswear company that sponsors high-profile athletes and teams around the world, boasts a very convincing campaign to support women. However, despite ads featuring “badass” females, the corporation fails to empower true femininity - as seen in their treatment of sponsored athletes who choose motherhood.
In 2019, the all-powerful Nike empire received much backlash for the way in which it treated its sponsored female runners. In an article for the New York Times, Olympian Alysia Montano revealed the difficulties that Nike’s pregnant athletes face, including pressures to race and reduced contracts. While we can’t fault a company for reducing pay for reduced performance, athletes such as Alysia Montano and Kara Goucher undoubtedly do find themselves facing tough decisions under such sponsorship.