RESIST: Equal Play, Equal Pay

“Kobe and Peyton walked away from their careers with something I didn’t have: enormous bank accounts. Because of that, they had something else I didn’t have: freedom. Their hustling days were over; mine were just beginning.”- Abby Wambach, former US Women’s Soccer player and winner of ESPY’s Icon Award
In March, only weeks before playing on the world’s biggest stage, the  US Women’s Soccer  team filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation claiming, “purposeful gender discrimination.” Highlighting not only a .38 cents to the dollar pay inequity with their male counterparts, the 28 players pointed to inequity’s in travel, where they play, the medical treatment and coaching they receive.

Arguably the greatest women’s soccer team in the world, the US women have been ranked number one for 10 out of the last 11 years and won four out of six Olympic Gold Medals in the last 20 years.

Conversely, the US men’s team hasn’t won an Olympic medal since 1904 and has not progressed past the World Cup’s sixteenth round in decades. In 2018, they failed to even qualify. Whereas FIFA estimated huge combined revenue losses in 2016 of over $400k, projections were redrawn to a profit of over $17 million largely because of the women’s success. Likewise, because of successes in tournament play, the Women’s team is playing games more for less money, averaging 15 more games a season.

“I get asked this question a lot, like, ‘Where does this come from?’ or ‘Why do you stand up for these things?’ To me, it’s literally all the same, insofar as I want people to respect who I am, what I am — being gay, being a woman, being a professional athlete, whatever,”- US Women’s team captain Megan Rapinoe.
We stand in strong support of the Paycheck Fairness Act and the US Women’s team lawsuit to spur forward gender pay equity in sports. We are humbled by the US Women’s team choice to use their platform for greater good and grateful for predecessors like Billie Jean King and Serena Williams who did the same.

As the Paycheck Fairness Act legislation moves forward, we urge to you write your Congress people in unwavering support. - Maureen Post

Photo Credit : CNN.com

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