Women deserve more than just a chair at sports media table

This is a column by Shireen Ahmed, who writes opinion for CBC Sports.  For more information about  CBC's Opinion section , please see the  FAQ .

Every year on International Women's Day, I am invited to be part of a panel or an event to amplify the achievements of women in media or sports media industries. I am always honoured to do it and excited about the conversation. But I have been thinking a lot about the way women's voices are showcased in sports media and other predominantly male spaces. Are these conversations tokenized or are we being seen and heard?

I sat on a panel with a few colleagues at CBC Sports last week to talk about women, sports and media. The brilliant Andi Petrillo hosted the discussion with me, the incomparable Anastasia Bucsis, and the legend that is Signa Butler.

Fellow Haligonian Butler was captain of my high-school soccer team in Halifax. She was an extraordinarily talented player and her grin is the same as it was 30 years ago. Monika Platek and Sarah Jenkins, two exceptional members of our CBC Sports unit, produced the show. Jenkins moonlights as a TikTok influencer and Platek is the social media lead, a digital visionary with more than a decade of experience.   

We opined, shared and we laughed. We also gave each other compliments. I couldn't help but see Anastasia smile shyly when I told her how great she is and how impactful her work is. It's one thing to say that she's humble, but this incredibly talented Olympian is excellent as a host, play-by-play commentator and team member. I am not trying to embarrass my colleagues, but women are often predisposed to being modest about their accomplishments. And I am annoyed about that. 

Petrillo is literally award-winning. In