Gender Equity

New York – September 30, 2026 -- The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) has released its inaugural WSF Sport Report 2026, a new annual benchmark tracking girls' and women's sports participation from youth leagues through professional and Olympic competition.

Girls pay 25% more than boys to participate in organized sports

Median annual sports spending is $500 for girls compared with $400 for boys, according to the report. Cost is an even greater barrier for girls from lower-income households, who are more than twice as likely as their peers to cite expense as the reason they have never played.

54% of girls who have never played say they want to, nearly matching boys at 52%

Despite similar interest levels, actual participation diverges: 45% of girls ages 8-18 currently play organized sports versus 52% of boys, based on a YouGov survey of more than 6,100 U.S. parents and 3,065 children conducted May 28-June 15, 2026.

Washington – September 20, 2026 -- More than half of U.S. women, 51%, report at least one negative healthcare experience in the past five years, compared with 39% of men, according to a new Gallup-Pivotal survey released Sept. 18, 2026.

The research, conducted by Gallup in partnership with Pivotal, the organization founded by Melinda French Gates, finds that 42% of women say their health has prevented them from doing everything they wanted to do in life over the past five years. Fifty-four percent report at least one health-related impact on family life or relationships, 42% on work or career, and 32% on community participation.