"Add the M": Christine Sinclair backs campaign asking men's leagues to rebrand for gender equality
Canadian women’s soccer star Christine Sinclair is at the forefront of a new gender equality campaign calling on major men’s sports leagues to add an ‘M’ to their names.
The campaign questions why women’s leagues require a ‘W’ prefacing their acronym while men’s leagues do not, with text that questions “ever wonder why men’s sports are just called sports, and women’s sports are called women’s sports?”
“When men’s sports are treated as the default for all sport, women’s sports get left out of the conversation,” Sinclair tweeted. “It’s time to add the M to shift perception and create change.”
When men’s sports are treated as the default for all sport, women’s sports get left out of the conversation. It’s time to add the M to shift perception and create change. Visit https://t.co/6g2yMvCQ4O to download your badge. #AddtheM @YWCACanada pic.twitter.com/CRdZMP7jmD
— Christine Sinclair (@sincy12) March 24, 2022
The video, in partnership with the YWCA Metro Vancouver, focuses on the NHL, NBA, PGA, and MLS.
Sinclair is an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Olympic bronze medalist and is a 14-time winner of the Canada Soccer Player of the Year award. She is the second footballer of either sex to score at five World Cups and is the world’s all-time leader for international goals scored for men or women with 188 goals.
A Google search for “Top International Goal Scorer, Soccer” lists Cristiano Ronaldo as the top-ranking result with 115. Sinclair, and other women, have scored more international goals than Ronaldo or any other male soccer player.
“Without the M, men’s sports leagues are treated as the default for all sports, automatically leaving women out of the conversation,” Sinclair said. “It’s hard to fight for equality, when all of women’s sports are treated as an afterthought.”
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She has played more than 20 seasons with the senior national team and in four Olympic tournaments — including Tokyo 2020.
Sinclair won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s athlete of the year in 2012 and, in 2013, was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. She was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017.
“One in three girls drop out of sports in their late teens, compared to just one in 10 boys,” says Amy Juschka, Director of Communications and Advocacy with YWCA Metro Vancouver.
“Girls are losing out on all the advantages sport provides as they move into adulthood — from health and wellness to leadership development, to the support of a team. We want to see added investment, opportunity and representation for women in sport. Add the M helps us confront the gender disparity that is affecting women athletes at all levels.”
The campaign has been backed by Sportsnet’s Tara Slone and Jennifer Hedger of TSN, among others.
Ever wonder why men’s sports are “sports” but women’s sports are “women’s sports”? @sincy12, @donnovanbennett, @BlakeMurphyODC and @abbyalbino and I do too!
Visit https://t.co/AS35vPO23R to download your badge and show your support! #AddtheMpic.twitter.com/9qo6SFDBnZ
— Tara Slone (@TaraSlone) March 24, 2022
Consider this 👇 Are we demanding men’s pro sports leagues change their logos? No. It’s a conversation starter. #AddTheM @YWCACanada https://t.co/oSBPVb7ASw
— Jennifer Hedger (@jenniferhedger) March 24, 2022
Slone, Sportsnet host Donnovan Bennett, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet 590 The Fan, and Addy Aldino also appear in the video.
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