Nike has been forced to update its policy to ensure its female athletes receive guaranteed pay during pregnancy and it is all thanks to one runner who caused a massive stir in recent days.
Teaming up with The New York Times, Olyimpic runner Alysia Montaño called out Nike in a video last week accusing the multinational corporation of double standards- publicly elevating female athletes while enforcing policies that discouraged them from having children behind the scenes
"If you want to be an athlete and a mother, well that’s just crazy," she says in the video, per Vox. "No, seriously, it’s not a good idea."
Montaño points out that the sports industry allows male athletes to enjoy full careers while female athletes wanting to have children could have their entire career jeopardized because major sponsors refused to pay them their salaries during pregnancy.
In the video the mother of two describes how, when she told Nike she was pregnant, the brand said it would pause her sponsorship, meaning she would not be paid for the months in which she could not compete.
Ultimately, her livelihood was at stake but the seven-time USA Champion, who famously competed while pregnant, refused to back down. She left Nike and began a fierce campaign to ensure other female athletes did not endure similar situations. Her efforts are finally paying off.
On Friday Nike released a statement announcing that it would amend its policies to ensure that the livelihood of its female athletes was not taken away during pregnancy.
"Last year we standardized our approach across all sports to support our female athletes during pregnancy, but we recognize we can go even further," the statement read. "Moving forward, our contracts for female athletes will include written terms that reinforce our policy."
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