Gender pay equity in sports

As one billion people from around the world casts their eyes on the brilliance of the action from 32 teams playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 hosted in Australia and New Zealand, what overshadows the athleticism is a similar issue faced by women in the workplace. A significant gender pay gap exists for women in sports like soccer.

Female soccer players at the top of the world rankings earn 25 cents to the dollar of men who compete at the World Cup according to analysis by news media, CNN of FIFA data. It’s not just the prize money (see chart below) – but systemic differences in pay at the club levels across countries.

A further study by FIFPRO, an organization that works across a wide range of policies and issues related to soccer, finds that top female players get paid the same or less in a year than what male soccer players of the same level receive per month.

Addressing gender pay inequity starts with awareness and a commitment to solve the issue. Like efforts being made in workplaces, more action is needed to create a level playing field (pun intended) for women in sport.

Photo: Jeffrey Lin | Unsplash

Source: CNN and FIFA