Gender Inequality in Football

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 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 a strong men’s team and not the women’s team. Since they won the Gold Cup and other events they bring in money. However, the women’s team has women many favorable events as well. Also, they feel the men’s team brings in a stronger demand of what the public wants to see. Since 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 women’s national team pays their players about 37,800 compared to the men’s national team which pays their players around 300,000 or more. The cap for each team is a huge difference as well. The NWSL or the National Women 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 in fact, it’s the other way around. The women’s team wins more game than the men and are 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 to increase the interest in women’s soccer around the world and to promote equality for women FIFA should focus on how they promote the game for women's soccer. If they used the same intensity as they do promote the men's game it would bring more money to women's soccer as well as promote social change. How to solve the men-women wage gap in international soccer. If we focused on advertising women's soccer games as much as the 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.

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 all filled out a complaint against the U.S. Soccer Federation about wage discrimination. They sate 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 to treat all athletes with the respect and dignity those athletes deserve”. The question is when will they get what they deserve since how they are getting paid affects how they live. They train hard every day playing the same sports men do but don’t get the same amount of money. This shows sexism at the least and they have the right to stand up and final federal complaints. These are very successful women that deserve to be paid the same amount as the men.

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 women's paycheck. With less pay studies show that this affects where women and their children live, and it affects their educational opportunities, also the food they are able to 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. 

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”. 

Women are also not seen to have high-paid jobs therefore they end up making even less money. Also, women are taught they belong is jobs that pay less and are not seen as being CEOs of companies, therefore, creating more occupational segregation. This is a big issue since some women are the ones bringing in the most income for their families but are expected to provide for their families with jobs that don’t pay as much as the ones that men have.

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 explains the pay gap between the men's and women's teams. In the interview they wanted to compare two of the top players here 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 is 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. 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 them 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 women working at less productive pursuits than they otherwise would, which holds back economic growth. 

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 was is fair and just.