#DayOfTheGirl Reflection by Minji Ro

10 years ago today, the United Nations named October 11th the “International Day of the Girl Child.” This day was established because the UN recognized that the rights of girls across the globe were limited, and the challenges that they faced in every aspect of their lives were significant. However, despite all of the obstacles, hardships, and all of the ways that the world has quite frankly failed girls, the world's 600 million adolescent girls find ways to do incredible things every single day.

Today, on international #DayOfTheGirl, I can’t help but think about the power of sport. And specifically, the profound impact that a positive sporting experience can have on the life of a girl. When I was six, my parents got me a basketball for my birthday and it completely changed the trajectory of my life. My love for sport started at that moment, and it lies so deeply within me that I can say without hesitation that my passion for sports helped mold me into the person I am today. This is honestly not that surprising knowing what I know now - which is that there is a direct correlation between the empowerment of girls and playing sports.??

Over the last 10 years, incredible research has been done by organizations like the Women's Sports Foundation ’s Sports Foundation and Ernst & Young young that prove - quite literally - that girls that play sports growing up become leaders later in life.

• 94% of C-suite executives played sports as girls. (EY)
• 52% played sports at the collegiate level. (EY)
• 61% of former women athletes believed that their involvement in athletics contributed to their career success. (EY)

I am certainly a living breathing example of these stats and facts.?

Fast forward a few decades after I held that basketball for the first time, and I am the CEO and Co-Founder of a purpose-driven company whose mission is to change the world by giving women athletes and their fans the power they deserve. Honestly, Parity to me is the pinnacle of my entire professional life - and exists largely because of the impact sports had on my life as a girl.?

My business partner/bff and I created PARITY | A Group 1001 Company because the little research that exists around the gender sports sponsorship gap tells us that women’s sports only receive 0.4% of sponsorship dollars. It is imperative that more money is shifted into women & girls in sport.?

Investing in women’s sports is a proven way that we can build a better future for girls and our team works every single day to put more money directly into the pockets of women athletes. I'm so proud of the team that we've built and the work we do to create a better world for women & girls in sports and beyond. I think six-year-old Minji would be proud, too.?

So today and everyday - here’s to the girls.?

- Minji Ro