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On Eve of Women's World Cup, Equal Pay Takes Center Stage


As some readers might have heard, the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup starts tomorrow.  With that being said, equal pay has again become a focal point for many, as many of the soccer players have started to use their voices to make their discontent known.

Earlier this year, 28 team members of the U.S. Women's National Team filed a gender discrimination suit against the U.S Soccer Federation on the grounds that that the U.S. Soccer Federation was engaged in "institutionalized gender discrimination" against the women's team.  The U.S. Soccer Federation has argued that any pay discrepancies are a result of "differences in the aggregate revenue generated by different teams and/or any other factors other than sex."  That suit is currently tied up in litigation.

However, one particular member of the U.S. Women's National Team, Alex Morgan, has started to speak out further in support of equal pay among members of the Men's and Women's National Team.  (Morgan is a part of the suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation.)  Tracing the equal pay fight back decades when the Women's National Team used to fly in economy seats to Japan, stay in roach infested hotels, and take the hotel shuttle to soccer games, Morgan is continuing the fight for equality in the sport.  A few years ago, Morgan was a part of the Women's National Team that was set to play a game in Honolulu, but after protesting the poor field conditions, were able to get the U.S. Soccer Federation to cancel the game.  In fact, Morgan's advocacy does not stop with the pay level for players.  It has been reported that a former coach for the Men's National Team made $3.35 million in 2018 (after having been terminated in 2016), while the Women's National Team coach made $318,533 for 2018 (while still being the current coach.)  Morgan commented "It's devastating to see a male coach who hasn't been a coach of the men's team for more than two years still be paid significantly more than Jill [the Women's National Team coach], who has a World Cup title on her resume.  It's terrible."

It is worth noting that equal pay is not a concept isolated to just the U.S. Women's National Team.  Ahead of the World Cup, equal pay for England's and South Africa's women's teams have been a topic of conversation, though for different reasons.  One of England's players, Fran Kirby, spoke out recently and said England must first win the World Cup before they can start discussing equal pay with the men's team.  According to Kirby, the women's team needs to win and grow the game before they can start talking about equal pay.  On the other hand, for the first time, South Africa's women's team will earn the same amount of bonuses as the men's team at the upcoming World Cup.


For additional information on Alex Morgan's advocacy for equal pay for the U.S. Women's National Team:  http://time.com/5594356/alex-morgan-world-cup/?amp=true

For additional information on England's women's team:  https://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idINKCN1SV0AH


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