Progress made in shattering illusion of equality in women's Para hockey, but work remains

The modern day is a pivotal time for women's Para hockey.

The inaugural Para Ice Hockey Women's World Challenge last week in Green Bay, Wis., was a successful step toward the ultimate goal of inclusion in the Paralympics, but there is still work to be done in order to remove barriers.

While Para hockey is technically a mixed sport at the Paralympic level, only three female players have ever competed in the tournament since its debut at the Lillehammer Games in 1994. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee through the World Para Ice Hockey organization, which has set the goal of adding a women's tournament to the Paralympic program for the 2030 Games.

The event generated momentum for the sport's global development, which is essential for the establishment of a women's world championship in 2025 — the next goal before the Paralympics.

"Now they know that every year there's going to be a women's tournament that is going to be happening where you can compete, with the eventual look to get a women's world championship happening. That is needed in order to get to the Paralympic Games," Canada's women's head coach Tara Chisholm told CBC Sports.

"There's some steps that need to come along the way, but I think having an event that is scheduled every year allows new countries to be able to set a timeline and a goal as to where they want to go and achieve that rather than just training to train and not really knowing when the next competition would be."

WATCH | Interview with Canadian head coach Tara Chisholm:

World Para Ice Hockey told CBC Sports that the tournament in Green Bay has already boosted participation, something that is part of their overall strategic plan to move the sport forward.

"While there