Women’s Soccer Fight for Equality

Women’s professional soccer is one of the teams that is facing the most issues. The biggest issue they are facing is the huge difference in salary between men and women. Because of the difference in pay the United States Women’s soccer team has issued a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the U.S. Soccer Federation.

This an interview produced by USA Today Speaking with some members of the Women’s USA soccer team.

Salary Difference and Bonuses

Women’s soccer have won three world cups since they have been competing in them, the men have not advanced beyond the quarterfinals in the modern era ( they placed 3rd in 1930). The players on the women’s soccer team will earn one hundred thousand a year if they win twenty exhibition matches. If they do not win twenty matches they will earn even less money. Men will earn the same amount of money as the women’s normal pay even if they lost every game they play, but If the men win twenty exhibition matches they will earn on average $263,320 a year.

The men’s team will also receive anywhere from $5,000 to $17,625 for each match that they win above twenty. Whereas the women’s team don’t receive any extra money for winning any extra games. The last Women’s World Cup was the most watched game, men or women, ever in the U.S. The game had over 25 million viewers.

Some People would argue and say that the women’s team doesn’t attract big crowds or bring in any money, but actually the women’s soccer team made sixteen million more in revenue last year. So where is this extra money going that the women are bringing in. Why were the women paid so much less even though they brought in more money.

When the men advanced to the quarter finals of the world cup in 2002 the men’s soccer team collected a 9 million dollar bonus. When the women’s team won the world cup in 2015 they only collected a 2 million dollar bonus. They collected even less for there two other two World Cup wins in 1991, and 1999.

Luxuries and Accommodations

Not only are the women fighting for equal pay but they are also fighting for the same luxuries that the men are getting. When the US Men’s soccer team plays in Los Angles they will fly business class and they will stay in rooms that can cost all they way up to $1000. The cheapest room the men will stay in is around $250. Now if the women are playing in Los Angles they will fly coach and then Stay in a hotel where the most expensive room is the cost of the cheapest room that a man will have to sleep in.

Playing Conditions

The issues don’t stop there. The women are also fighting for safer playing conditions. Most of their games are played on turf fields, which are causing injuries to the players. When the men have to play on a turf field a maintenance crew will lay down a layer of sod, not caring about how much it will cost.

On the turf fields there are uneven areas that cause injuries, and many of the girls experience severe rug burn from the rubber pellets in the faux grass.

This is a picture of one of the players legs after a soccer game playing on a turf field. https://twitter.com/sydneyleroux/status/323630086249140224/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftime.com%2F4140786%2Fwomens-soccer-team-turf%2F

A judge ruled the women’s current agreement with the US Soccer Federation invalid, and has taken away their right to strike away from them. Now the women have gotten creative and taken their fight for equal pay to a friendlier place. They plan to wear t-shirts with the phrase “equal play, equal pay” on them to at different media availabilities and interviews. They also plan to get temporary tattoos made of the same phrase and plan to wear theses tattoos during their games.

These are the shirts that the players made to get out their message.

The players are also using their social media accounts to approach more people and get their message even more out there. The women are trying to get their message across in a large scale but peaceful way.

The women are not only trying to get a better deal for themselves but for the future players of the US Women’s soccer team. They believe that the current deal and layout for both men’s and women’s soccer is outdated and needs to be fixed.

The women are dedicated to this issue and will not give up fighting until they receive what they deserve. They are frustrated with the lack of interest that U.S. Soccer has shown in negotiating a new bargaining agreement for them.

So why are the women forced to play on these fields but not the men.

The women’s soccer team is continuing to fight for their equal rights and they will not stop until they get what they deserve.

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