United States Women’s Soccer Team Gets Paid Less Than the Men’s Team

Imagine working just as hard as a coworker, but being paid merely half of what the others receive. This is exactly how the women of the US national soccer team feel. After the United States Women’s soccer team won the world cup in the summer of 2015 in Canada, members of the US Woman’s National team filed a complaint against the US soccer administration for unequal pay between themselves and the men’s team.

Five of the star players filed a complaint with the equal employment opportunity commission. The Woman’s soccer team has performed much better than the men’s team and is still paid less. The women’s players at some point have gotten less than 35% of the men’s revenue. At this point in time the US woman’s team has accomplished more than the men’s team by far. The women were three-time World Cup winners and defending Olympic champs. Their recent World Cup victory was an exciting moment for the country and the women’s soccer program. It was the most viewed soccer game of all time in the US. The US men’s soccer team has never even advanced past a World Cup quarterfinal since 1930. Yet, the men’s team gets payed more for only showing up to the games than the woman team got for winning a World Cup. Men’s pay is almost twice as much as woman’s pay in a multi-year period. The women’s team members get $72,000 to appear in 20 exhibition games and with a victory bonus, they end up making about $99,000. The men’s team gets at least $5000 per game weather they win or lose. The men’s team’s victory bonus is also higher than the women’s. Another important reason why the woman should get equal pay is because they make more money for US soccer. The men bring in about nine million for event-based revenue, while the woman make almost eighteen million in the same amount of time. Furthermore, the women each can receive $75,000 for winning the world cup while the men each get up to $400,000. The women also don’t receive bonuses for World Cup qualifying while the men’s team gains 2.5 million dollars. The recent World Cup has one other shocking statistic. The US women received 2 million for winning, and the men’s team received 8 million for only reaching the round of sixteen. Many people think that the women’s teams are being overlooked and unappreciated.  The Lafayette filed hockey coach, Mrs. Engstrom, when asked what she thinks on women’s pay in sports says, “It should be the same as men.”

There have only been two laws made for women’s equal treatment in sports or in pay. The first law is the Equal Pay Act of 1963. This law states that there can’t be any gender discrimination in the workplace, so it is illegal for woman to get paid less than men. The second law is called title nine, the education amendment of 1972. This law prohibits any sexual discrimination in any program or activity in a school, ensuring gender should get an equal amount of attention and funding for their programs.

The US women’s national team rightfully protested against the amount of pay they were getting. Their protest opened people’s eyes not only on the amount of pay woman athletes were getting, but in the equal treatment of woman in all different fields of the US. There are only two laws made for gender equality and the citizens in the US think they aren’t enough for the woman of this day and age. The US woman’s national team has accomplished more than the men side, makes more money for US soccer, and continues to be overlooked. The US National team was brave enough to stand up for their rights, and for the continuation of gender equality in the US.