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Various countries continue to limit women in regards to attending and playing sports. Global Citizen campaigns on the United Nations’ Global Goals, including Goal 5 for gender equality. Join the movement and take action on this issue and more here.

International Women's Day is an opportunity to champion equality and honor the achievements of women.

With this in mind, organizers of the Cricket World Cup have chosen to hold the Women’s T20 World Cup final on International Women’s Day — and they have set a huge goal to accompany the game. The T20 final — to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) — will aim to make history by breaking the world record for the highest attendance at a women’s sporting event. 

"This is a chance to create history, and we’re encouraging all Victorians to descend on the MCG on March 8 — International Women‘s Day — to be part of this landmark moment for women and sport,” Victoria’s Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams said in a press release Wednesday.  

To meet the ambitious goal, crowds will have to exceed 90,185 — the number set at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

Global superstar Katy Perry has been confirmed to exclusively perform during the T20 final.

"I'm all about celebrating equality and the achievements of women, which naturally happens on a global scale on International Women's Day,” Perry said in an International Cricket Council (ICC) media release. “I hope to bring a unifying, electric performance playing some of my most empowering songs for the best female cricketers on the planet and some of my greatest fans, as we all unite to support gender equality and empower people to achieve everything that they desire.”

The attendance goal comes at a time when countries worldwide are slowly making strides to make sport equal for all.

However, the right for women to attend live sports events remains an ongoing battle. 

It was only last month that Iran, which has long had some of the worst gender equality in the world, allowed women to attend a live stadium soccer game. The game, a FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifying match between Iran and Cambodia, was the first time in 40 years that women were permitted to be present. 

Likewise, just last year, Saudi Arabia allowed women to attend live soccer events for the first time in the state’s history.

The first match in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be played on Feb. 21, 2020.

TopicsGender EqualityAustraliaSportCricket

Editorial

Demand Equity

Australia Aims to Break World Record Attendance for a Women’s Sporting Event

By Madeleine Keck