The price of success: Equal Pay and the US Women’s National Soccer Team

Abstract

This commentary offers an analysis of the implications of the US Women' National team Collective Action lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation. The players filed the lawsuit based on two grounds: first, that the US Soccer Federation violated the Equal Pay Act by paying them less than the men's national team and second, that the federation discriminated against them under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964, specifically in regard to workplace conditions. In this article, we discuss three interrelated aspects: (1) the legal implications of either the success or failure of the dispute; (2) playing and workplace conditions; and (3) the gendered meanings of equal pay and its socio-cultural implications. These significant challenges require analysis to understand potential implications of the outcome for women's football, and beyond. Recommendations are made for governing bodies and football clubs, in addition to possible future research directions for academics. We reflect upon the gendered, social and sporting meaning of equal pay for continuing the momentum of women's football, highlighting the need for the most successful women's football team in the world to achieve parity if we are to continue advancing gender equality in a 'new age' of women's sport.

Dictating play to the left wing: Does soccer make you more Democratic?

“…Furthermore, this impact increases with income growth, and the magnitude of the coefficients between hosting a men's or women's World Cup remain very similar. Given the popularity of women's soccer in the United States ( 31 ), this finding conforms to our expectations.…”

“…In addition, women's soccer is incredibly well followed in the United States. The women's team is very successful, earning the US Soccer Federation more revenue than the men's team ( 31 ). In terms of participation during the sample period, there were approximately 348,000 registered girls playing soccer, in comparison with only 317,000 boys in 2001 ( 25 ).…”

“…Furthermore, with the success of the US women's national team, it has stimulated fan interest in the sport and made women's soccer incredibly popular ( 25 , 31 ). Women's soccer has a strong following of male supporters and is said to be a safer and more inclusive environment in comparison with the male game ( 28 ).…”

Peran Un Women Dalam Mendukung Kebijakan Equal Pay Fifa Sepak Bola Wanita Di Inggris

“…panjang dari UEFA dalam rangka mengintegrasi unsur sepak bola sebagai olahraga universal, termasuk sepak bola wanita di Inggris. (Culvin et al, 2022) Ini yang menjadi pendorong dibentuknya Women Football Association pada tahun 1969 yang diinisiasi oleh 44 klub sepak bola wanita. Arthur Hobbs menjadi 'bapak sepak bola wanita' di Inggris dikarenakan perannya yang sangat signifikan dalam pengembangannya.…”

‘They are doing it because they love it’: U.S. and English fan perceptions of women footballers as ‘role models’

“…This research is also important because it contributes to wider debates around gendered inequalities in women's football. Women players have been shown to operate in a more precarious workplace in comparison to men players, with poorer conditions, lower pay, shorter contracts, and fewer opportunities to play professionally (Culvin et al 2022). Gendered expectations placed on women players as role models are yet another example of gender inequality in a career pathway thateven for elite professional players incorporates much hidden and unpaid labour.…”