I do not sport. My body consists of 206 bones, and none of those are athletic. I watch baseball, basketball, and lacrosse once every blue moon. I cheer when watching sports live, but not always for the right team. I am guilty of not watching the 2015 World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan. However, I issued a loud “hoorah!” after hearing the news of America’s victory for the third time in 24 years.
Then, I heard the other news: the team would receive $2 million in prize money. At first, I thought this amount was incredible. Surely, $2 million is a ton of money. But when compared to the $35 million the German team took home for winning the 2014 World Cup, the $2 million transformed into a disappointing reminder of the wage inequality experienced by women in every industry. This information was enough for me to revoke my previously uttered, “hoorah!”
I decided to first look into the relationship between the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the United States, and women. The United States joined the Association in 1913, five years before women could legally vote. U.S. men played in the first World Cup in 1930 and 54 years later, FIFA arranged a world women’s tournament in 1984. Technically this was not a World Cup. The U.S. formed its official women’s team in 1985, after the second-wave feminism movement ended.The first women’s FIFA World Cup was held in 1991, with the United States team winning.
In an historical context, I understand why sports were divided by gender as female teams earned recognition. However, I’m perplexed as to why we continue to label sports by sex. What’s the necessity of having to specify men’s soccer or women’s soccer when discussing the sport? Why can’t we just refer to them both as football (the actual name of the game) and be done with it? And if everyone is playing the same game, why is the prize money so drastically different?
The answer is simple, as much as it pains me to admit. The world still prefers men more than women, especially the world of sports. Drew Harrell, a reporter at the Washington Post, created a comprehensive list of the disparities between the men’s and women’s soccer teams to illustrate male privilege in sports. Ultimately, gender inequality arises from capitalism and consumerism: “Women's sports are seen as lesser moneymakers, ignored in media and merchandising deals, given less dramatic coverage, fewer cameras, less airtime -- all of which might help explain why the sport is overlooked in the first place.”
Female athletes might be seen as a “lesser” commodity, profit-wise, but they certainly encountered more athletic challenges than their male counterparts in the 2015 World Cup. Perhaps the biggest obstacle was the artificial turf FIFA forced the women to play on, even after a lawsuit was filed against the Association. The turf is notorious for causing greater injury and also for significantly raising the temperature of the playing field. So, basically, the women’s teams of the World Cup did everything their male counterparts did a year earlier, but on more dangerous terrain and in an oven.
The attention the U.S. team received after making it to the 2015 World Cup finals proves Americans are ready for more strong female role models, especially in sports. The U.S. vs. Japan game ranked as the highest viewership of a soccer game in American history. The U.S. team also became the “first women’s team honored with a ticker tape parade” in New York City. Those interviewed by CNN at the event were excited about witnessing history, stating multiple times how inspirational the team was.Apart from celebrating, people are also up in arms about the pay inequality. Hopefully, this slew of emotions surrounding the U.S. women’s soccer team will translate into action towards more equality in the world of sports so that getting paid like a girl becomes a thing of the past.
