When men and women do the same jobs, they should be paid equally. The same is true in athletics. Women’s and men’s teams both need to be paid fairly. Is it reasonable that a men’s team should be paid ten or 20 times more for a game compared to a women’s team? If so, why?
A new deal has determined that the U.S. men’s and women’s soccer teams will be paid out equally in the future. According to the U.S. Soccer Federation, it reached a new deal between the U.S. Women’s National Team and U.S. Men’s National Team that allows it to eliminate the pay gap seen by the women’s team in the past.
The new agreement will continue until 2028 and includes a clause for equalizing the prize money won at the World Cup. The women’s team, according to a settlement in February 2022, will also receive $22 million in back pay.
Equal pay for equal roles is essential
This is a great example of how sometimes there are pay differences that just don’t make sense. Not only that, but there are also sometimes differences in the environments that men’s and women’s teams get to practice or train in.
When players are essentially working for the same company, they should have the opportunity for the same pay. While there may be some variances based on how long someone has been on a team or their own negotiated payouts, they should still all be within a reasonable range.
Equalizing the World Cup
The U.S. Soccer Federation is the first in the world to agree to equalize all World Cup money. World Cup appearances will now have all prize money pooled and split equally between the two teams and the federation. The teams will also be able to share in ticket and commercial revenue.
Pay equity is the future
This is an excellent example of how people can come together to fight for fairness. Pay equity is vital, especially when athletes like these are bringing in so much revenue and support for a sport growing in popularity in the United States.
