At Senda, we believe in gender equality in sports and support it every day.

Although we stand by athletes all year round no matter what their gender is, today we celebrate female athletes who are building a stronger foundation of equality for future soccer leaders. Our brand pushes for gender equality in sports in general, and particularly in soccer, and encourages the soccer worldwide community to tackle together the problem of women's visibility and make the changes needed to empower female players, referees, and coaches.

To gain insight into the experiences and perspectives of women athletes participating in the FIFA Women's World Cup, we had the privilege of interviewing Antonia Silva. Antonia, a 29-year-old Brazilian professional player. She plays as a centre back for Spanish Primera División club Levante UD and the Brazil Women's National Team, which will proudly represent in this highly anticipated tournament. We had a nice conversation with Antonia which allowed us to know more about her story and her perspective on gender in soccer, and also how she feels wearing our Gravity Socks.

What motivated you to become a professional player?

I started playing soccer when I was 9 years old at school. I should say that my passion began because of my father, who also played soccer and had a team. He was my inspiration and the person who motivated me to love this sport. Since I was a little girl, I have dreamt of being a professional soccer player. I have always believed that everything is possible if you have the strength and passion to pursue what you want. I keep on working hard to be even better and stronger every day. My biggest motivation is my family. I know that they are proud of me, and that is what encourages me to work hard and strive for the best version of myself.

Do you see any progress in women's soccer nowadays?

I can see that women's soccer has progressed a lot since I started, and it is very rewarding to see all that we have achieved so far. We are realizing that little by little we can go further, although we still have a long way to go. We must gain more support and work hard to achieve more, but the good thing is that we are all working together on this. We believe in ourselves and need people to believe in us too.

You wear Gravity Grip Socks in training sessions and matches. How do you feel about them?

I feel great. Compared to regular socks, the Gravity Grip Socks give me more confidence in pivoting and direction changing, thanks to their non-slip feature. That is fundamental for my game. I do recommend these socks for all players who want to spread out all their power on the court.

Antonia Silva's story is just like many other women’s stories who believe in their dreams and stand out in the crowd while working hard for their purpose in life. Many of them turned out to be references and leaders for many others without even looking for it. Antonia is building a path toward gender equality. How long will it take to achieve it? We don’t know.  What we do know is that fortunately, times are changing and reality is no longer the same as when Antonia started playing soccer.