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My whole life I have been an athlete. I love soccer and I work as hard as I can every time I step on the field. It’s the same as every other women athlete in the world. Then why do women athletes get paid less than men? There is a big pay gap between The US women's soccer national team and the men that not only affects them, but also the economy, and to fix this problem we need to look at how FIFA funds each team.
The US women's soccer team is funded by the USSF which is the United States Soccer Federation. They make millions in surplus for the final every year. They usually have $3.17 million in surplus. According to the Washington Post, the money made is “driven by strong men’s national team and women national team event revenues, hosting a Men’s World Cup Qualifier in a larger than planned stadium (Seattle) and winning the Gold Cup. Other favorable activities projected for the year include stronger than planned Licensing apparel sales, Supporters Club memberships, and added Coaching schools to meet the strong demand” (Smith, T. M. (2018, October 16). How to solve the men-women wage gap in international soccer. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://theconversation.com/how-to-solve-the-men-women-wage-gap-in-international-soccer-445 23). Therefore the USSF organizes everything for the teams. This is how they get their money, organizing different matches for both the US men's and women's teams. If the women’s team is not getting the same amount of money as the men we need to look at what the USSF is doing wrong. They need to organize their money better.
There is such a big pay gap between the US women's national team and the men's national team. There is a 40% pay gap between the two teams. The National Women's Soccer League is far behind the men's team in what they are paid. For example According to the article by Kerry Close “The National Women’s Soccer League has a pay ceiling per player of just $37,800. That’s compared to an average of more than $300,000 and a median of about $100,000 for men’s Major League Soccer” (Smith, T. M. (2018, October 16). How to solve the men-women wage gap in international soccer. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://theconversation.com/how-to-solve-the-men-women-wage-gap-in-international-soccer-445 23). The cap for each team is a huge difference as well. The NWSL, or the National Women's Soccer League has a cap of only $265,000, but the men have a $3 million more cap than the women's team. This pay gap is completely unfair, especially since they get paid less for winning more. The women's soccer team qualified for the World Cup this year, unlike the men's team, but they still get paid less. What blows my mind is how people who play the same sport are paid differently. I understand if the men’s team was winning more than the women’s team but it’s the other way around. The women’s team wins more games than the men and is far more successful.
This issue must be addressed and fixed, but how? According to Thomas More Smith FIFA is doing it all wrong. FIFA should be organizing what they are investing in better. For example “as an investment, an avenue to increase participation in women’s soccer across the globe and a mechanism to propel equality between men and women. Consider the impact that FIFA could have if it spent the time and resources promoting the women’s game with the same intensity it uses for the men’s game. Sports is a powerful vehicle for social change” (Smith, T. M. (2018, October 16). How to solve the men-women wage gap in international soccer. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://theconversation.com/how-to-solve-the-men-women-wage-gap-in-international-soccer-44523). If we focused on advertising women's soccer games as much as men people would view those soccer games more, making more money for the team. When you look on TV you rarely see women soccer players. You usually see the legends like Messi or Ronaldo, but where are the women? Megan Rapinoe and Mia Hamm are just as successful but there is no advertisement for them. This could increase interest in the women’s game to bring more money to their sport.
According to FIFA another reason that women soccer players aren’t getting paid the same amount as men is because the tournaments haven’t been running as long as the men’s. This can’t be true because then “if this were true, most chief technology officers would be earning less than the mailroom staff.” (Thomas, L. (2017, June 19). Equal Pay for Equal Play: The Case for the Women's Soccer Team. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-case-for-equal-pay-in-womens-sports). The main reason why the women's team isn't getting paid enough is that there isn’t as much advertising for women’s soccer.
Women soccer players have not been silent about these issues. Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Hope Solo have all gone public and spoken out about the issue. They have filed a federal complaint accusing U.S. Soccer of wage discrimination. They state how they are getting paid roughly a quarter less than the men's team even though they outperform the men's team and brought in more revenues for U.S. soccer than the men’s team. The Senate says “Immediately end gender pay inequity and treat all athletes with the respect and dignity those athletes deserve” (The Gender Pay Gap. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/presence-mind/201404/the-gender-pay-gap). The question is when will they get what they deserve since how they are getting paid affects how they live.
Women in general are paid less than men, not just for soccer. This affects how they live. According to Psychology Today most households rely on a woman's paycheck. With less pay studies show that this affects where women and their children live, and it affects their educational opportunities, as well as the food they can put on the table. Also, lower wages for women put them at greater risk for poverty in their retirement years. It affects retirement savings and benefits. Also, the gender pay gap makes student loan burdens worse for women because they aren't able to pay it off. These are major issues that women are affected by and must deal with because they are paid less than men. (The Gender Pay Gap. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/presence-mind/201404/the-gender-pay-gap).
Women are getting paid less than men because of “occupational segregation.” According to Psychology Today occupational segregation is when “Gender stereotypes, gender roles, and gender socialization prepare women and men for different types of jobs as well as affecting employers’ perceptions of who is appropriate for a given job. Most of us also seek training, education, and jobs consistent with our gender role and receive encouragement from others to do so.” (Team USA members on the historic fight for equal pay in women's soccer. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-women-soccer-team-usa-gender-discrimination-equal-pay/). Women are also not seen to have high-paid jobs therefore they end up making even less money.
Male soccer players are paid a lot more than women soccer players. There was an interview done with Hope Solo, a women’s national soccer player, where she explained the pay gap between the men's and women's teams. She says that there is “a pay structure the women themselves wanted and agreed to in 2005 and again in 2013. A consistent salary of up to $72,000 a year and bonuses for wins of $1,350. They also get health insurance and maternity leave. The men enjoy no guaranteed salary and fewer personal benefits but they can make as much as 17,625 dollars for a win. We wanted to compare two of the top players” (The Impact of Equal Pay on Poverty and the Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://iwpr.org/publications/impact-equal-pay-poverty-economy/). There was a comparison made with the tip players and their pay gaps. Hope Solo was paid $366,000 in total by U.S Soccer, but Tim Howard the goalkeeper for the men's team was paid $398,495 when Solo played in 23 games for her team and Howard only played in eight. How is it possible that Howard was able to play a substantial amount of fewer games than Solo, but is still able to make more money? They play the same sport but she still is paid less money.
Unequal pay also affects the economy. Since women make up half of the entire workforce, getting paid significantly affects the economy according to The Institute for Women’s Policy Research. If women received equal pay the economy would have an additional $512.6 billion more in income. This affects the gross domestic product of the economy (The Impact of Equal Pay on Poverty and the Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://iwpr.org/publications/impact-equal-pay-poverty-economy/). Equal pay for women doesn’t just affect their daily lives but the economy as well. If you don’t agree with women getting paid equally you should realize that it does affect you and the economy that you live in.
Women getting paid less also affects their work ethic and their wanting to work. Being paid less for the same job makes one not want to work as hard and according to The Institute for Women failure to pay women fairly results in men working at less productive pursuits than they otherwise would, which holds back economic growth (The Impact of Equal Pay on Poverty and the Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://iwpr.org/publications/impact-equal-pay-poverty-economy/).
Women athletes should be paid the same as men. Not getting paid equally affects the economy and women's work ethics. Also, FIFA needs to focus on more advertisements for women's soccer. Having equal pay for women is what is fair and just.
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