"Equal Play, Equal Pay", if you are not a soccer fan, even more, a women's soccer fan, then you probably won't know what it means. This term describes an issue faced by professional women's soccer players—not getting the same pay that men's
soccer players do. But money is not the only important problem, women also get worst playing conditions. An example of this was how for the first time in history, a major tournament—the 2015 Women's World Cup—was played completely on turf (artificial grass), a condition with many repercussions; from the way the ball rolls to the players' health.
Women should not have to give up dreams because we are not bound to get the same payment or attention as men in the world of sports, or in any industry, for that matter. We should not have worse conditions, or not be able to follow our passions. The gap should not have been allowed to get this large.
5 important facts from the pay gap that women in soccer are fighting:
1. The U.S. Women Soccer Team won the World Cup in 2015, and still earned $6 million less than the men's team, who lost in the first round in the same event.
2. Not enough women games are promoted or broadcasted on TV.
3. Men players in the Major Soccer League (MLS) here in the U.S. have an average salary is $226,454 annually, while women playing in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) average salary is only between $7,200 and $39,700.
4. Women on the U.S. national team make about 40% of what their male counterparts do, the complaint alleges.
5. Women's playing conditions and even hotel stays are significantly worse than men's
It took the U.S. Women's Soccer Team a very hard fight to get their situation to improve, but still, it didn't equal men's pays and playing conditions. And this problem is something we are seeing, not only in women's soccer but in many other sports and jobs—which should not be happening. This fight is spreading to all workplaces indifferent—like the #MeToo movement in Hollywood—and through women and men all over the world. And watch out, because these movements are just getting started.
