Sponsors should take note: it was the crowd that chanted “equal pay” when the FIFA president awarded the cup to the winning team. The solution lies in paying male and female athletes an equal flat fee with a bonus determined as a share of the sponsorship revenue for each match.
Full Answer
Is equal pay for Women’s soccer players finally a reality?
The years-long fight for equal pay for the U.S. soccer women's national team is now a reality after the men and women came together for landmark collective bargaining agreements that establish a groundbreaking compensation structure, and one that could have repercussions for other countries around the world.
What is the gender pay gap for the FIFA World Cup?
The gender pay gap for the FIFA World Cup is US$370 million. It’s time for equity FIFA defends the pay imbalance with the usual claim that it reflects the difference in revenue produced by the men’s and women’s tournaments. Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA
How much will the women’s Olympic soccer players get paid?
Under the terms of the agreement, the athletes will receive $24 million and a pledge from the soccer federation to equalize pay for the men’s and women’s national teams. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Members of the United States women’s soccer team at the Tokyo Olympics. Credit...
What is FIFA’s gender pay imbalance all about?
…an imbalance of proportions only FIFA could come up with a straight face. FIFA defends the pay imbalance with the usual claim that it reflects the difference in revenue produced by the men’s and women’s tournaments. As FIFA President Gianni Infantino so inelegantly said last year:
How much money does FIFA give to women's soccer?
It’s not just the winners who are disproportionately underpaid – it’s all the teams and players, and even their professional clubs. FIFA has set aside US$30 million in total prize money for this year’s women’s tournament, while the men’s pool totalled US$400 million in 2018. In addition, FIFA gives the men’s teams US$48 million in preparation costs ...
How much is the gender pay gap in FIFA?
Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA. The gender pay gap for the FIFA World Cup is US$370 million. It’s time for equity. June 9, 2019 7.16pm EDT. Keith Rathbone, Macquarie University.
Why did the Matildas refuse to play in the 2015 World Cup?
In 2015, the Matildas refused to compete in a two-game series in the US to force the team to raise their base pay from A$21,000 per year. As midfielder Teresa Polias explained: We’re not asking for millions of dollars. We’re asking for minimum wage, to sustain our lives off the pitch to do well on it.
How much did Tim Cahill make in 2016?
Former Socceroos star Tim Cahill, for instance, earned A$3.5 million to play for Melbourne City in 2016-17, which was more than all 181 women who competed in the W-League that year. Read more: Change Agents: Susan Alberti and Debbie Lee on establishing a national women's football league.
How much money did the French women's team win in 2018?
Compare this to what the winner of the men’s World Cup pocketed in 2018, however: the French team earned US$38 million ...
Who is the CEO of Professional Footballers Australia?
John Didulica, CEO of Professional Footballers Australia, the trade union that represents male and female pros at the ACTU, called the pay gap: …an imbalance of proportions only FIFA could come up with a straight face.
Will women's football generate more than men's football?
As FIFA President Gianni Infantino so inelegantly said last year: Maybe one day women’s football will generate more than men’s football. Critics, however, don’t buy this argument. Because FIFA refuses to open its books fully to the public, this claim is hard to substantiate.
What UK law requires
Equal pay for equal work has been a legal requirement imposed upon employers for almost 50 years, by virtue of the Equal Pay Act 1970 and now the Equality Act 2010.
Disparity in some industries
The universal employment opportunities which should commonly be afforded to men and women alike in industries such as the legal sector, accountancy and banking do not always translate into talent-related industries, such as acting or sports.
The spotlight shone by the FIFA Women's World Cup
Women’s football continues to gain momentum and attention on a global scale. The coverage of this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup has been on an unprecedented level for the women's game, and the public's appetite for the sport continues to grow, as record viewing figures attest.
Players taking action on equal treatment
That disparity has sparked outrage in some quarters, and FIFA, football's world governing body, has been forced to promise to more closely align the prize fund levels across the two games after this summer's tournament following a successful campaign by the Australian women’s team.
Aligning the case for equality with the legal requirements
Many would say that the job of being a professional footballer for both men and women involves similar tasks which require similar skills, is equally demanding on men as it is on women, with both sets of players playing at the peak of their physical abilities and following strict training regimes.
Challenging the status quo
The commercial environment in which men and women sports stars operate appears to be a central driver of the justifications asserted for the disparity in remuneration between men and women footballers.
Base Pay Inequality Within National Federations
The Football Association of Ireland became the latest federation to pay women and men equally to appear in national games. Ireland men players agreed to reduce their international fees, so the FAI could pay women players more to achieve pay equality.
FIFA World Cup Prize Money
Perhaps the most challenging issue is World Cup prize money. Unequal World Cup prize money is a significant factor that maintains the status quo in the gender pay gap.
Gender Bias
Many pundits believe that women players don’t garner enough popularity or profit to justify equal pay with male soccer players. The belief is that women should only receive equal pay when they bring in equal revenue, even though the USWNT brought in $50.1 million in game revenue from 2016 to 2018 while the USMNT brought in $49.9 million.
How much money did the Women's World Cup get?
In October 2018, FIFA announced that it was doubling total prize money at the Women's World Cup from $15 million to $30 million.
How many people watch the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup?
In recent years, women's soccer has experienced a surge in popularity and the global viewing audience for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is expected to reach one billion.
Why did Ada Hegerberg quit soccer?
Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg also famously quit international soccer in 2017 due to the way the Norwegian Football Federation treats female players. Even though the federation subsequently agreed ...
When is Equal Pay Day?
Published on April 2nd, 2019. April 2 – Equal Pay Day – marks the day U.S. women have finally earned the same amount of money as the average man did in 2018. Sports have long mirrored society, and the gender pay gap has persisted in athletics just as it has in the professional realm.
Who are the women who surf big waves?
Big Wave Surfers. In 2016, six female big wave surfers – Andrea Moller, Bianca Valenti, Keala Kennelly, Paige Alms, Karen Tynan and Sabrina Brennan – founded the Commission for Equity in Women’s Surfing (CEWS). The organization exists to increase “the number of events and the number of awards for women, as well as offering equal prize money …
Is the women's soccer team suing?
Twenty-eight members of the current national team pool announced in March that they are suing U.S. Soccer, seeking equitable pay and treatment, including damages for back pay. The women’s team has far exceeded the success of their male counterparts, who failed to even qualify for the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2018.
Gender Pay Gap at All Levels
What Can Be Done to Close The Gap
- In Ireland, Denmark, Australia and the United States, women have used industrial action to earn better pay and working conditions. Strikes have proved effective, as well. In 2015, the Matildas refused to compete in a two-game series in the US to force the team to raise their base pay from A$21,000 per year. As midfielder Teresa Polias explained: Fo...
Wider Gender Inequality Issues
- The pay issue is just one of many injustices that women’s soccer players face. For instance, women routinely play in more difficult conditions than men. At the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, players were forced to compete on artificial turf rather than grass, which many blamed for a range of injuries. At the World Cup, women also often play with fewer rest days between ga…
The Spotlight Shone by The FIFA Women's World Cup
- Women’s football continues to gain momentum and attention on a global scale. The coverage of this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup has been on an unprecedented level for the women's game, and the public's appetite for the sport continues to grow, as record viewing figuresattest. However, despite the huge positives that the tournament has delivered for women's football, the…
Players Taking Action on Equal Treatment
- That disparity has sparked outrage in some quarters, and FIFA, football's world governing body, has been forced to promise to more closely align the prize fund levels across the two games after this summer's tournament following a successful campaign by the Australian women’s team. Norway's Ada Hegerberg, officially the best female footballer in th...
Aligning The Case For Equality with The Legal Requirements
- Many would say that the job of being a professional footballer for both men and women involves similar tasks which require similar skills, is equally demanding on men as it is on women, with both sets of players playing at the peak of their physical abilities and following strict training regimes. Central to the claim brought by the US women’s national team against the USSF is that …
Challenging The Status Quo
- The commercial environment in which men and women sports stars operate appears to be a central driver of the justifications asserted for the disparity in remuneration between men and women footballers. The argument goes that if the women's game is not generating the same commercial revenues as the men's then it cannot sustain the same level of payments to players…
Pay Disparity in Professional Leagues
Base Pay Inequality Within National Federations
- The Football Association of Ireland became the latest federation to pay women and men equally to appear in national games. Ireland men players agreed to reduce their international fees, so the FAI could pay women players more to achieve pay equality. As a result, Ireland became the seventh team, joining Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zeala...
FIFA World Cup Prize Money
- Perhaps the most challenging issue is World Cup prize money. Unequal World Cup prize money is a significant factor that maintains the status quo in the gender pay gap. FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, distributes bonus money to teams that play in the World Cup. In the 2018 men’s World Cup, the prize pool was approximately $400 million. France earned $38 million out of $40…
Gender Bias
- Many pundits believe that women players don’t garner enough popularity or profit to justify equal pay with male soccer players. The belief is that women should only receive equal pay when they bring in equal revenue, even though the USWNT brought in $50.1 millionin game revenue from 2016 to 2018 while the USMNT brought in $49.9 million. Justifying beliefs does not provide reas…
What’s at Cost?
- The cost of pay inequality is more than financial. Pay inequity limits career opportunities for women. More often than expected, professional women’s soccer players have to find side jobs or retire from soccer altogether to make enough money. Additionally, the pay gap disregards women’s contribution to soccer, disrespecting both girls and women worldwide. If women’s soc…