Money, Power, Respect: How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism

by Macaela MacKenzie

Overview

An inside look at how women athletes are leading the fight for equality—on and off the field 

Women’s sports receive a fraction of the airtime allotted for men’s sports, as well as a fraction of the marketing dollars, media coverage, and training resources. For every dollar that the NBA’s highest-paid player brings home, the WNBA’s highest-paid player earns just half a cent. But while misogyny in sports is particularly visible, it’s not unique. Women athletes face the same sexist barriers found in all career fields: the motherhood penalty, transphobia and misogynoir, underpromotion, and more. 

But women in sports are fighting back, debunking myths that women aren’t as skilled, competitive, or capable of generating revenue as men. Drawing on exclusive interviews with prominent athletes—including Allyson Felix, Megan Rapinoe, and Billie Jean King—journalist Macaela Mackenzie shows how women are using sports as a platform for change. As women athletes push for the same things all women want in their careers—money, power, and respect—their wins are showing the rest of us what’s possible in the fight for equality. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541600898
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	06/27/2023
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	284,755
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist covering women’s equality. Her work focuses on sports, the gender gap, and women’s health and has appeared in publications including Glamour, Elle, Self, Forbes, Marie Claire, Allure,and Bustle. She lives in Connecticut.  

Editorial Reviews

05/29/2023

Women athletes are at the forefront of the feminist fight for workplace equality, according to journalist Mackenzie’s spirited debut. Focusing in particular on the $24 million settlement obtained by the U.S. women’s national soccer team in their gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, Mackenzie arrays an impressive arsenal of facts and figures to shoot down arguments often raised to explain why women’s sports deserve secondary status. For example, she notes that the final match of the 2015 Women’s World Cup drew 30 million U.S. viewers, an audience more than 50% bigger than the one for game six of that year’s NBA finals, which featured Steph Curry versus LeBron James. Elsewhere, Mackenzie makes the case that lack of investment is the foremost reason why women’s sports generate less revenue than men’s, noting that in the early days of the NFL, the league lost money and most new teams failed within a few years. At times, Mackenzie’s ardent advocacy can cloud complex issues, and she focuses more on remedying women’s lack of self-esteem than on the need for structural change. Still, this invigorating study makes a persuasive case for the growing popularity and political power of women in sports. (June)

Publishers Weekly

The fight for women’s equality in sport has always been about more than the money and about more than sports. Macaela MacKenzie gets it, and after reading Money, Power, Respect, you will too.”—Billie Jean King

“This invigorating study makes a persuasive case for the growing popularity and political power of women in sports.”
 —Publishers Weekly

An Amazon Editor's Pick for Best Book of the Month, July 2023——, —

“Money, Power, Respect shines a light on what women in sports have been doing for decades: refusing to accept the status quo. In showing how our fight is about an equal playing field for all, Macaela MacKenzie nails it—a must-read for anyone who cares about women’s equality.” —Allyson Felix, seven-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field, maternal health advocate and entrepreneur

“Money, Power, Respect is a must-read. The book weaves a beautiful narrative arc explaining why women's sports and female athletes have been historically left out of the party and gives a path forward to reclaiming power in a place women deserve to be recognized and celebrated.”—Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play

“From the opening paragraphs of Money, Power, Respect, I had chills. MacKenzie masterfully captures the power, strength and vision that defines women athletes who have been pushing for true equity in sports. She reminds us that sport has the power to transform us — individually and collectively — and that women have, and will always be, at the front of that transformation.”

—Anne Lieberman, Director of Policy & Programs, Athlete Ally

“Money, Power, Respect is about so much more than sports: the deeper issues here affect everybody. MacKenzie's book vividly shows the wins, the losses, and the constant struggles that female athletes have to go through in order to achieve equity. A refreshing and eye-opening read for anyone who considers themselves a feminist.”

—Minda Harts, author of Right Within

From the Publisher

Macaela MacKenzie's audiobook is on a subject she is passionate about --equity for female athletes. Courtney Patterson brings exuberance to the narration; it's an appropriate tone for MacKenzie's well-researched and reasoned work. Patterson's tone also includes incredulity, annoyance, and a strong sense of pride--which marry the research and writing perfectly. Using statistics and balanced arguments, the audiobook lays out the case for increased and balanced coverage of women athletes, who are traditionally underrepresented. Topics cover pay equity, media coverage, sexism, misogyny, and more, with interviews of athletes including Allyson Felix, Megan Rapinoe, and others. Patterson's narration clearly communicates the author's points to the listener. M.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2023 - AudioFile