Something missing in the World Bridge Tour

Gender Diversity Matters

Photo Source: WBF Facebook

The World Bridge Federation (WBF) recently launched the World Bridge Tour (WBT), which offers players the opportunity to compete in a series of events throughout the year and earn Tour Ranking Points. However, upon examining the leaderboard, Jude Goodwin noticed that all the players were men. While the WBT has the potential to raise the profile of tournament bridge and attract more sponsors, Goodwin, in an article published on Great Bridge Links, suggests this potential success is undermined if it fails to address gender diversity.

To ensure that women are included in the WBT, Jude Goodwin proposes that the WBF set a requirement for at least 40% female registration for an event to be included in WBT rankings. She suggests event organizers could go out of their way to encourage women to participate, such as adjusting prices, implementing on-site daycare, changing start times, and offering robust partnership programs. Goodwin believes that including women players would benefit the game in many ways such as increasing the numbers of players, drawing more attention from journalists, and broadening the game's appeal to families, friend groups, and local clubs. Goodwin concludes that the WBT and the WBF must address gender diversity to ensure the game's long-term growth and success.

Read the full article on Great Bridge Links here →