Imagine, for a moment, that you had two employees. Both do exactly the same work, put in the same hours and are equally qualified. Given this information, it would seem logical that both employees would earn essentially the salary. Now imagine, one employee is vastly more successful than the other. This employee brings in more revenue to the company. Following the same logic, it would seem reasonable that the successful employee would be rewarded with an increase in salary. Seems logical. However, change one small component to that anecdote; the successful employee is now a woman. In theory, it shouldn’t change really anything, right? If only that were true….
Just this past week five key members of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, including Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn filed a wage-discrimination action against the U.S. Soccer Federation. They submitted their case to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “the federal agency that enforced civil rights law against workplace discrimination”. This lawsuit has drawn much attention from the press and from other important figures. For instance, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has voiced her support in a tweet that reads “Wouldn’t want to face these women on the field or in the courtroom. Every woman deserves equal pay.” Even the men’s national team has demonstrated their support. Men’s team star, Landon Donovan tweeted that the “#USWNT absolutely deserve to be treated fairly in all ways…” Does anyone else find it slightly ironic that a player from the men’s team would tweet this, since the men’s team earn approximately four times what the women earn? Even though the women bring in about $20 million more revenue per year and have won 3 World Cups and 4 Olympic gold medals. Honestly, one could understand, based on these facts if the women’s team was pushing for even more. If they argued they should be rewarded for their successes and paid bonuses for their wins, it would be hard to argue with that. But the fact is, they’re not. They are simply arguing for equality, which is even less than they probably deserve.
Quite possibly the worst part of this whole situation is the response of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Instead of graciously considering the women’s request, they have been quoted saying things like “We are disappointed.” Disappointed? Disappointed that the women finally found the courage and resources to fight back and now they may to actually pay them what they deserve? The inequality and gender discrimination in women’s sports has been rampant for years. 12 years ago, former president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, who claimed himself “a fierce advocate of women’s soccer” told reporters that they should “Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball…They could, for example, have tighter shorts”. Um... What? This is the president of FIFA literally telling women to wear tighter uniforms. As a soccer player myself, I find this quote highly offensive. Women’s sports are not entertainment for men. The women and girls who play sports, soccer being one of them, care intensely about the sport and love playing it. There is no female soccer player who truly loves the game that will tell you they play for entertainment of men. The satisfaction I get from playing the sport I love has to do with me, and me alone. Worst of all, there is little women can do to change this. Federations like FIFA are almost solely male-run; In a previous FIFA scandal, 41 of the 42 defendants were male.
Our country as a whole, has had a hard time accepting gender equality, or even the thought of it. Almost 100 years ago the Equal Rights Amendment was proposed, which would guarantee equal rights for women. Not until 1977 did it make it to the state ratification stage, where it failed to be ratified and eventually died. It shouldn’t be surprising then, I guess, that women are constantly still forced to fight for seemingly simple rights like equal pay for equal work, when even their country couldn’t pass an amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee their rights.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Women’s National team is just one example. There are countless other instances of women fighting for simple equality. So often people mistake feminism as women claiming to be better than men or that they deserve more. What it is, is simply the quest for equality between the sexes. For equal pay for equal work. To be treated as equals, not entertainment. For a country as advanced in every way, it seems shocking that we are still having such basic human rights issues. Maybe someday equality will be established, but until then, women will continue to fight for what we deserve.
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