In case you missed it, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team kicked some serious butt in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Our ladies beat Japan 5-2 in the World Cup final. With Carli Lloyd scoring multiple goals all in the first few minutes of the game, it was a done deal for the U.S. right off the bat.
Sadly, as great as our ladies played, their pockets may not be reflecting as great of a victory. According to this Buzzfeed article, the ladies of the USWNT will be earning $2 million dollars for their victory against Japan, while the German Men’s National Team earned a whopping $35 million for their win against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
You don’t have to be a math major to know that $2 million is embarrassingly far less than $35 million. To make matters worse, in comparison to their female counterparts, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (which never made it to the final) earned $8 million. The icing on the cake, however, is the total payout comparison amongst the men and women’s World Cup.
Politico reported that the Women’s World Cup’s payout was $15 million in comparison to the $576 million payout from the Men’s World Cup. This is 2015, not 1965. Women have come a long way to earn their proper place in all facets of society, including sports. It’s time that women be taken as seriously as men and be compensated in the same manner. Female professional athletes work just as hard, yet the inequality continues. Women are a backbone of society…they work, they raise children, they run companies and yes, they are athletes!
The proposal is not outrageous…we are asking for equal pay for equal work. The USWNT performed outstandingly in this year’s World Cup. They played just as hard as the U.S. men’s team! The only difference was that they they made it to the final game… and won! They deserve to be rewarded and regarded with the same recognition as the winners of the 2014 World Cup.
To the ladies of the USWNT, congratulations! You kicked some serious butt, showed excellent character, and you showed the guys how it’s done! Have fun at your parade, you deserve every minute of it, and it’s time you got a raise!