Kerri Walsh Jennings was warned not to get pregnant
Olympic Athlete Kerri Walsh Jennings was told that having children may cause her to lose her sponsors, which are the main livelihoods for athletes like herself. This brings out yet another discriminatory, challenge that women face. Male athletes never have to decide between competing and having children, whereas females are discouraged from starting a family because it may ruin their careers. Thankfully, in Jennings’ case, the sponsors that decided to drop her after her first child were replaced with other sponsors, enabling her to continue her athletic career. Unfortunately, many other women in the workplace are not so lucky. Often women have to sacrifice promotion opportunities, advanced education, etc. in order to have children. What’s the solution? Is it possible to change social understandings of motherhood?