The US women’s football team may have won its fourth World Cup in a nail-biter against the Netherlands, but a much more important struggle lies ahead back home: securing pay on par with the country’s men side.
The struggle was highlighted when the packed crowd chanted “equal pay” after the women’s football team won yet another World Cup title. The chants were referring to the disparity in the pay of the US men’s and women’s football teams.
Check it out:
🗣 EQUAL PAY #USWNT pic.twitter.com/hQMGz6q54H
— Mina Park (@minapark) July 7, 2019
Crowd chants “equal pay!” in stadium after US won the World Cup. #PayThem pic.twitter.com/aHnsbvQlHE
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 7, 2019
In March, 2015 team members, including Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan of the current team, sued the US Soccer Federation alleging gender discrimination. The players said they were being shortchanged by the governing body in terms of working conditions and pay when compared with the men’s team, which has not achieved anything close to what the women’s team has for several years.
We are not for equal pay. Until the USMNT win anything they should be paid less than the USWNT. #WorldCup2019
— The Sklar Brothers (@SklarBrothers) July 7, 2019
From the team's gender discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation:
— Rebecca Leber (@rebleber) July 7, 2019
“This is true even though their performance has been superior to that of the male players—with the female players, in contrast to male players, becoming world champions.”
The women’s team has also generated more revenue for the governing body than the men’s team in recent years.
U.S. Women’s games brought in $50.8 million from 2016-18, while men’s games made $49.9 million, but the men still get paid significantly more. I’m cheering for the @USWNT on the field & in the fight for #EqualPay. #PayCheckFairnessActhttps://t.co/U8rgSI2zZe
— Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) June 28, 2019
The best women's soccer team in the world is suing @USSoccer for gender-based pay discrimination.
— Michelle Ye Hee Lee (@myhlee) July 7, 2019
Per lawsuit: Men's team received $5.375M in bonuses after losing 2014 World Cup. Women's team received $1.725M in bonuses after winning 2015 World Cup. https://t.co/se9sldbXXW
The crowd’s chants supporting equal pay for the women’s team sparked an avalanche of tweets from fans and supporters. Among the ones to tweet was Billie Jean King, who championed equality of genders in sport. The “Battle of the Sexes” star is regarded as one of the greatest women's tennis players of all time. “It is long past time to pay them what they rightly deserve,” she said.
Congratulations to the #USWNT on their 4th World Cup win! These athletes have brought more attention, support, & pride to women’s sport than perhaps any other team in history. It is long past time to pay them what they rightly deserve. 🇺🇸🏆🏆🏆🏆 #USAvNED #WorldCupfinal #EqualPay
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) July 7, 2019
Others joined in as well:
On the USWNT fight for equal pay, star player Megan Rapinoe says: “I have to do everything I have to do on the field. Then I have to do everything else to prove to you that that’s enough.”#EqualPayForEqualPlay
— Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) July 7, 2019
I don’t think the #USWNT should be paid equal to male soccer players.
— Mary Emily O'Hara (@MaryEmilyOHara) July 7, 2019
I think they should be paid way more, based on how much they actually win. 💅🏼
Some tweeple drove home the message:
Watching this fight over #equalpay erupt following the #USWNT win, and I expected a backlash. But it is absolutely fascinating that some men just can’t imagine that a sport played by women could EVER bring in more money than a sport played by men 🤦🏽♀️ https://t.co/rgAASDnZhJ
— Erika D. Smith (@Erika_D_Smith) July 7, 2019
At this point we shouldn’t even be asking for #EqualPay for the #USWMNT - we should demand they be paid at least twice as much 😉 https://t.co/VXITg24UB3
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 7, 2019
Well, we all hope the US Soccer Federation is listening!
