2024: A landmark year for girls and women in sport

2024 has been a transformative year for women’s sports in Canada. Women athletes and organizations have captivated fans, shattered records, and driven unprecedented momentum toward sports equity.

Meanwhile, more girls than ever are participating in sport and reporting a desire to engage in sport not only as athletes, but as fans.

Big picture, the momentum surrounding girls and women in sport is sustaining year-over-year which means this movement has staying power, and it has the power to lead to the kind of cultural and systemic change we’re working towards.

Sport truly is a powerful tool for social change. By empowering women and girls within and through sport, we can transform our sport system and our society for the better. And I have no doubt we’ll look back on 2024 as a year that changed the future of sport for girls and women in Canada. Here’s why:

• Historic PWHL Inaugural Season: The Professional Women’s Hockey League debuted with thrilling competition and overwhelming fan support, showcasing the immense talent of women’s hockey and cementing its place as a major professional league in Canada.
• Canada’s First Professional Women’s Soccer League: The Northern Super League was officially announced with six teams set to kick off next spring. The league has quickly built momentum with dynamic club branding, impressive ticket sales, and marquee corporate partnerships, signaling a bright future for women’s professional soccer.
• WNBA Expansion to Toronto: The announcement of the Toronto Tempo—Canada’s first WNBA team—has electrified basketball fans nationwide. Buoyed by the “Caitlin Clark effect,” women’s basketball fandom in Canada is at an all-time high.
• Olympic Equity and Glory: For the first time in history, the Summer Games had an equal number of women and men competing. This milestone reinforced the growing global commitment to gender equity in sport. Canadian women athletes also shone on the global stage at the Paris Olympics, achieving historic victories and inspiring young athletes across the country. Standout performances included:
  • Summer McIntosh (Swimming): Dominating her events and adding to her already impressive medal haul.
  • Camryn Rogers (Hammer Throw): Delivering a gold-medal-winning performance, setting records along the way.
  • Brandie Wilkerson/Melissa Humana-Paredes (Beach Volleyball): Bringing home a medal and thrilling fans with their chemistry and skill.
  • Nicholas Bennett and Aurelie Rivard (Para Swimming) captured the most medals for Canada with three each.
• We learned more about what impacts girls’ participation in sport. With the release of Rally Report 2024, new data revealed encouraging increases in sport participation among Canadian girls, but also highlighted the continued gap compared to boys. There are still over 1 million girls missing out on the benefits of sport.

Yes, there is work still to be done to build safer, more inclusive sport environments, but we are heading in the right direction. The progress we’ve seen in 2024 is only possible because of the work happening at all levels of the Canadian sport system, within government, and by bold leaders in business who are committed to building better sport for all.

If 2024 showed us what’s possible for girls and women in sports, 2025 is sure to prove that women's sport is here to stay.