For International Women's Day, ESPN Australia's female writers have penned their thoughts of what's next for women in sport.
Marnie Vinall
More trophies! But really, it's to see the needle continued to be pushed forward on all fronts of equality.
Whether that's steps towards professionalisation for athletes currently in semi-professional leagues, more inroads towards pay equity, a greater number of women -- especially women of colour or from marginalised backgrounds -- in more broadcast and commentary roles, or continued talks about the disadvantages within current sporting systems that need to change for the better.
I don't expect to blink and women to suddenly be on an equal playing field, but a continued push in the direction is what I want to see in 2022. Also, more trophies!
Brittany Mitchell
There's a lot to wish for for women in sport this year; better wages, better training facilities and resources, and maybe even a couple World Cup wins thrown in.
But what I really want is not just more coverage, but more critical analysis alongside coverage. For a few years now, there's been a wide division in how women's sport has been handled, either with kid gloves or on the other end with derision and disrespect. Now with more competitions, more teams, and more coverage, there's been a slight shift in how women's sport is being covered and it's only for the better.
As Ellyse Perry Tweeted in February, objective analysis and criticism is crucial in the revolution of women's sport, it's more than welcomed by athletes and it provides validation for the hard work and sacrifice that is put in by so many people.
In what's looking like the biggest year in Australian women's sport yet, it's time more and better analysis is written and produced.
1/2 It's absolutely necessary for the evolution of womens sport that objective analysis and criticism is given. I think most female athletes truly welcome this as it validates their or their teams performance and efforts. https://t.co/lag6GKXHjZ
— Ellyse Perry (@EllysePerry) February 1, 2022
Stephanie Brantz
I hope in 2022, women's sport regains the momentum of pre-COVID times. A time when 86,174 fans packed out the MCG for women's cricket and record crowds filled venues to support netball, or women's football, a time when women's sport was in the headlines just for being a brilliant spectacle - with athletes doing what they do best.
Most importantly, my sincere wish is that by the end of 2022 we are talking less about equality for women in sport because everyone is doing more!
Seraphina Newton
As a woman, female athlete, and a woman working in sport, in 2022, I wish to see more support and respect shown to women in the sporting industry.
I want women to be able to focus on their trade the same way men can, I want the sacrifices and disadvantages that they have faced due to their gender, to be recognised and remunerated properly.
I want the push for equality to not just be echoed by men, but led and enforced by them. I wish for an even playing field.
Marissa Lordanic
My wish for women in sport in 2022 is abundance. Yes, that includes bigger pay packets but it's so much more than that. Longer seasons, more support from the clubs and leagues they play in, greater opportunities to be professional athletes. And it's not just the women who take to the fields and courts who deserve more. Greater support and more opportunities for women behind the whistles and on the sidelines and in the boardrooms and at the press conferences as well. Women in sport already give and have given so much, they deserve so much more in return.