Santana Garrett Shares Her Secrets for Helping Empower Women in Wrestling – Muscle & Fitness

Report on Santana Garrett’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals within Professional Wrestling

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the career of professional wrestler Santana Garrett, focusing on her contributions to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her career exemplifies progress in gender equality, quality education, decent work, and reduced inequalities within the sports entertainment industry. Through her roles as an athlete, mentor, and coach, Garrett has actively promoted an inclusive and empowering environment, particularly within the WOW—Women of Wrestling promotion.

Alignment with SDG 5: Gender Equality

Santana Garrett’s career is a case study in advancing gender equality and empowering women in a traditionally male-dominated field. Her journey and subsequent leadership roles directly support the targets of SDG 5.

Overcoming Systemic Barriers

Garrett entered the professional wrestling industry at a time of significant gender disparity. Her initial experiences highlight the challenges faced by women in the sector:

• She was the sole female student at her initial training facility.
• She faced a lack of acceptance from male peers, necessitating a greater effort to prove her commitment and skill.

Promoting Female Leadership and Participation

As a veteran performer and coach, Garrett actively works to ensure women have full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in professional wrestling. Her contributions include:

1. Serving as a mentor and coach for emerging female athletes at WOW—Women of Wrestling.
2. Guest coaching at the WWE Performance Center, transferring elite skills to the next generation of female performers.
3. Continuing her family’s legacy, demonstrating a multi-generational commitment to the sport and paving the way for others to follow.

Contributions to SDG 4, 8, and 10: Education, Decent Work, and Reduced Inequalities

Garrett’s influence extends beyond gender equality, contributing to quality education, promoting decent work, and reducing industry inequalities.

SDG 4: Quality Education and Lifelong Learning

Garrett embodies the principles of lifelong learning and knowledge transfer. She absorbed skills from industry veterans like Sean Waltman and Scott Hall and now disseminates that expertise. Her role as a teacher is fundamental to providing quality vocational training for women entering the profession, ensuring they acquire the skills necessary for successful careers.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

By achieving high levels of success and championing promotions like WOW, Garrett helps create and sustain decent work opportunities for women in sports entertainment. Her career demonstrates that professional wrestling can be a viable and productive form of employment for women, contributing to sustainable economic growth within the sector.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Garrett is a vocal advocate for reducing inequalities by promoting inclusivity. Her philosophy aligns with Target 10.2, which aims to empower and promote the social and economic inclusion of all.

• Diverse Recruitment: She supports WOW’s practice of recruiting talent from all walks of life, including independent wrestlers, models, actresses, and stunt women.
• Inclusive Representation: She champions the representation of all shapes and sizes, fostering an environment where diverse individuals are given an opportunity to succeed.
• Equal Opportunity: Garrett believes every individual deserves a chance to pursue a career in wrestling, regardless of whether they have had a lifelong passion for it, thereby promoting an equitable pathway into the industry.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Sustainable Development

Santana Garrett’s career is marked by significant achievements, including holding the NWA World Women’s Championship and the WOW World Championship. However, her most enduring legacy is her contribution to making professional wrestling a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable industry. Her work directly supports the core principles of the SDGs, particularly in empowering women (SDG 5), providing quality skills training (SDG 4), creating opportunities for decent work (SDG 8), and reducing inequalities (SDG 10).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article centrally focuses on the experiences of a woman, Santana Garrett, in the male-dominated professional wrestling industry. It highlights the historical “old boys club” attitude and the challenges she faced as the “only girl at my wrestling school,” directly connecting to the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering women.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article details Santana Garrett’s professional career, her progression from a rookie to a champion, and her current role as a coach. This narrative is about her employment, career development, and economic participation within a specific industry, which relates to the promotion of sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all.
3. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • A significant theme is the transfer of knowledge and skills. Garrett learned from mentors like Sean Waltman and Scott Hall and is now “passing her wisdom on to the women of WOW” and has guest coached at the WWE Performance Center. This focus on vocational training and mentorship aligns with ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article touches upon reducing inequalities by promoting inclusion. Garrett praises WOW for having women from “all walks of life, all shapes and sizes represented,” including models, actresses, and stunt women. Her belief that “everybody deserves a chance” regardless of their background speaks directly to the goal of empowering and promoting the social and economic inclusion of all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life.
   • Santana Garrett’s journey from being the sole woman in her training school to becoming a world champion (NWA World Women’s Champion, WOW World Champion) and a respected coach exemplifies her full participation and rise to leadership positions within her economic sphere. Her role in training the next generation of female wrestlers further supports this target.
2. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • The article portrays professional wrestling as a viable career path for women. Garrett’s sustained career over almost twenty years, her various roles, and her ability to earn a living in the industry are examples of productive employment for women in a non-traditional field.
3. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
   • The article explicitly describes Garrett’s role as a teacher and mentor. By guest coaching at the WWE Performance Center and passing her wisdom to the women of WOW, she is directly involved in increasing the number of women who have the specific vocational skills required for employment as professional wrestlers.
4. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… origin… or other status.
   • Garrett’s statement celebrating that WOW wrestlers “come from all walks of life” and that it doesn’t matter if they haven’t had a lifelong passion for wrestling is a direct endorsement of inclusion. It shows a conscious effort to provide opportunities and empower women from diverse professional backgrounds (models, actresses) to enter and succeed in the industry.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Implied Indicator for Target 5.5: Proportion of women in leadership and mentorship roles within the professional wrestling industry.
   • The article provides a qualitative example of this through Santana Garrett’s roles as a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center and a valued teacher at WOW. An increase in the number of women holding such positions would indicate progress.
2. Implied Indicator for Target 5.5: Number of women participating and achieving top honors in the sport.
   • The article mentions the “gradual growth in the number of women” in wrestling and lists Garrett’s multiple championships (NWA, WOW). Tracking the number of female participants and champions over time serves as a clear indicator of women’s full and effective participation.
3. Implied Indicator for Target 10.2: Diversity of professional backgrounds among new entrants into women’s wrestling.
   • The article states that WOW includes “models, … actresses, … stunt women.” Measuring the variety of previous professions of women entering wrestling promotions like WOW can serve as an indicator of the industry’s inclusiveness and its success in reducing barriers to entry for people of different backgrounds.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: muscleandfitness.com