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Athletes Invited to Shape Maternity Rules
17 Jun
Summary
- World Athletics is surveying elite athletes on pregnancy and return-to-sport policies.
- The CARES project aims to support female athletes with professional and contractual issues.
- Sprinter Allyson Felix previously challenged sponsor Nike over maternity pay policies.
World Athletics has initiated a significant study to gather insights from elite female athletes regarding policies on pregnancy, childbirth, and their return to competition. The organization aims to enhance support systems and diminish inequities faced by these athletes. This project, known as Childbirth And Return in Elite Sport (CARES), will investigate how to better support athletes during maternity leave, including their world rankings and contractual terms.
The initiative comes after sprinter Allyson Felix's high-profile dispute with Nike in 2019 concerning maternity pay. Felix revealed Nike's intention to cut her pay significantly if pregnancy affected her performance, leading to Nike's subsequent revision of its contracts to guarantee pay and bonuses for 18 months around pregnancy.
Athlete Calli Hauger-Thackery, who recently completed the Boston Marathon while 22 weeks pregnant, exemplifies the changing attitudes. She expressed a desire to show that women can balance motherhood with elite athletic goals, highlighting a growing sentiment of empowerment in the sport.
