Why the field is far from level for women in sports decades after Title IX

In 1972, 37 words would forever change sports for American girls and women.

Before Title IX became law, prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded schools, fewer than 300,000 girls played high school sports. That number is now over 3 million.

While athletes in women's sports are standing up against abuse, fighting for social justice and demanding equal pay and prize money, the playing field is far from level. Professional male athletes in basketball, golf, soccer, baseball and tennis can make between 15 and 100 percent more than women.

Women are also calling the shots in male-dominated sports, changing the game as coaches and inspiring girls both on and off the field.

Watch the powerful, emotional stories of women across America determined to build a better world. Challenging the status quo, shifting the balance of power, and using their ingenuity to help transform their communities.

"Our America: Women Forward" is a five-part, multi-platform docu-series culminating into a one-hour documentary that celebrates women and follows their historical journey of challenges and barriers faced to breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings to build a better country, world, and future for the next generation.

The docu-series will air as a five-part special each day, March 8-13, across all eight owned stations within the newscasts of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, and Fresno, and streamed on all OTV's 32 connected TV apps, beginning March 2021. The docu-series culminates to an hour-long special that airs the weekend of March 13, 2021.