Although some may deny it, women in the United States only earn around 80 cents for every dollar paid to a man. One of the fields where this pay discrepancy has been apparent for so long is sports. 28 members of the U.S. women's soccer team recently filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation. In this lawsuit, they claim that their lower pay is representative of gender discrimination, and these women are dead set on fighting for equality. Unfortunately, this issue has been long running. The U.S. Soccer Federation refused to pay the players more back in 1999, even after the women's team won the World Cup, and seem to be attempting to perpetuate their dismissive stance now.
When this debate is raised people always make excuses for why the pay gap exists, or even try to deny its existence altogether. In sports, supporters of women players making less than man are quick to point to success and money, saying that women simply don't pull in as much profit. However, the U.S. women's soccer team has broken the record for the most goals in a Women's World Cup game this year, as well as broke the record for winning by the most goals. The women's team has won three titles since 1991, while the men's team failed to even qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
If pay is about success, then these women certainly deserve a lot more than the U.S.'s male soccer team. The federation has admitted to paying their women players less, but still maintains that the pay that they do receive is "fair and equitable." Players like Alex Morgan have taken advocating for equal pay seriously and work hard to promote their cause. In a selfie, she posted in November wearing an "I'd rather get paid" shirt, Alex Morgan wrote the caption, "The gender wage gap is close to the hearts of female athletes, and I'm so happy to team up with @secretdeodorant to talk about it. My friend @abbywambach makes an appearance in Secret's latest video, which shares a simple message from women everywhere: #IdRatherGetPaid. Head to Secret's YouTube channel to enjoy! #Secret."
Women players can now make around $170,000 if they additionally play in the National Women's Soccer League, which is a sign that the tides are changing. Male players, however, can earn a much higher bonus than women because they are paid per game and can make contracts playing in leagues that have far more to offer than the National Women's Soccer League.
Despite the change that is beginning to take place, it's ridiculous that women still have to fight for things such as equal pay, in any profession. Society views the contributions that women make as somehow inherently lesser, and the arguments to back up these opinions are consistently flimsy and rooted deeply in our misogynistic culture. There's no room for change if our country continues to look at women through a point of view that is frankly outdated and worryingly incorrect.
