Lockard 1

Ashleigh Lockard

Wes 200

Dr. Sturts

26 October 2021

Equal Pay for Female Professional Athletes

If a man and a woman do the same job, work the same amount, and put in the same

amount of effort, why are men being paid more? For every dollar a man makes, a woman makes

54 cents, and the average American woman makes 81% of what an American man does (Adelphi

University). Professional athletes have an even bigger wage gap. What are the contributing

factors to this? Some factors include advertising, endorsements, and revenue. As well as unequal

benefits that players receive. These factors play a role as to why professional female athletes are

paid less compared to their male counterparts. Times are changing, and foundations and

organizations have been made to fight for equal pay for professional female athletes, along with

equal participation rights.

The Equal Pay Act VII of the Civil Rights Act protetcts against wage discrimation based

on sex, for both men and women. According to the US Department of Labor, “If there is an

inequality in wages between men and women who perform substantially equal jobs, employers

must raise wages to equalize pay but may not reduce the wages of other individuals” (US

Department of labor). In order to make a claim, the job must require the same skill, experience,

education, working conditions, effort, responsibility and performance. The fight for equality

between men and women has gone on for centuries. For the longest time women were treated as

property and like they did not matter. Today the fight for equality continues to happen at the

professional sport level.

 Lockard 2

In 1973, there was the “Battle of Sexes” where Billie Jean King challenged Bobby Riggs

to a tennis match. This was to show that women should not be looked over and that they can do

anything men can do, maybe even better. King said, “Everyone thinks women should be thrilled

when we get crumbs, I want women to have the cake, the icing and the cherry on top, too”

(Mervosh and Christina). Her win sparked a movement with women's sports equality.

When you think about professional athletes what comes to mind? Is it a sport? Sponsors?

Money? Male professional athletes make a living playing professional sports while female

professional athletes make their money from endorsements. For professional women's basketball

players in the WNBA, along with getting sponsors, the women also have to play overseas to help

make a living. “There is systematic sexism in sports that leads to unequal pay” says Anya

Alvarez, from The Guardian. It is not just female basketball players who work more; there are

also women who are full-time athletes and hold jobs, like athletes who are also moms. Women

lose hours dedicated to jobs and sports because of the high demand for child care and relatives

(Mertens).

There is an 81% wage gap between men and women in the professional world. In 2018,

according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made $789 weekly while men made

$973 weekly (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In professional sports the wage gap is also

present and clearly visible. From wages, to games, and game bonuses, there is a 94% wage gap

between men and women in professional sports (Adelphi University). Take the women’s and

men's national soccer teams. In the 2018 Men's World Cup, the winning team made $400 million

and each player received $38 million (Murray and Morris). During the 2019 women's World

Cup, the winning team made $30 million and each player received $4 million. There is unequal

pay across the world in soccer, including the USA Soccer federation. The USA men's team
 Lockard 3

received $108,695 just for making the tournament, while the women received $200,000 for

winning the World Cup (Murray and Morris). It is interesting to think that the men's team makes

half of what the women's team makes for winning, just by making the tournament. It's peculiar to

think that in 2018 the USA Men's national team didn't even qualify for the world cup

tournament, and the women's team won the whole tournament in 2019, but are still paid less.

In 2015, the USWNT brought in $20 million more in revenue than the men’s national

team did that year, but was only paid a quarter of what the men received (U.S. Women's Team

Files). The women’s team games bonuses for winning are less than the mens. The system needs

to be fixed as there is a clearly unequal pay happening. The Women's team has won 4 World

Cups, the Men's team none. The Women's team has won 4 gold medals in the Olympics

including the very first one that women were allowed to participate in. Again, The men’s team

has none, yet the men's team is still paid more. Why is that?

March 8 is National Women's day. On March 8, 2019, the National Women’s soccer team

filed their third lawsuit against the U.S Soccer Federation. This lawsuit was “filed in Los

Angeles federal court under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act”

(McCarriston). They were not just filing for equal pay, it was for coverage, commercials and

promotions, training facilities, benefits like maternity leave and adoptions, and travel

accommodations. Back in 2013 and 2016, players filed for equal pay too. In 2017, the conclusion

from the two lawsuits was raising the pay for friendly's and non tournament pay (McCarriston).

This pay is still not equal to the mens. The outcome for the 2019 lawsuit came in 2020 when the

judge dismissed the case saying “they are being paid according to the terms of their contracts,”

(Contreras,et al.).
 Lockard 4

The problem is the women's team is paid differently than the men’s team. They have an

annual paid salary with a 401k plan and health care that the men do not have (Gajanan). There

are a lot of factors that contribute to the debate about equal pay. It comes down to games played,

tournaments appeared in, and wins. Also how much money the team makes outside of playing

pays a factor in how much they are paid, says Gabe Feldman, a sports law professor at Tulane

University (Gajanan). The USWNT paid an annual salary of $100,000 plus the bonuses they

received for games based on performance (Gajanan). Even with this being the case the women's

team makes only 89% of bonuses of what the men’s team makes for winning the same amount of

games.

The United States Soccer Federation, (USSF), says that the women's team is paid

differently, and they receive benefits that the men's team doesn't. Molly Levinson, a

spokeswoman for the USWNT says that the USSF gender discriminates against the USWNT.

USSF paid the women less in their “pay-played” contracts, and paid them less for their friendly

matches as well (Gajanan). Women have been facing gender discrimination is sports for a long

time. Katherine Switzer was the first woman to receive a racing bib and run the Boston Marathon

(History | Boston Athletic Association). She was being pushed around and people attempted to

drag her off the course but she finished the race. Back in the 1950’s and 60’s male scientists said

that women running would hurt their reproductive system and health in general. This was just an

attempt to keep their bodies dainty and more feminine. Another instance of gender

discrimination in women's sports is their accommodations.

Another way female athletes are being discriminated against is by how the media

portrays them. The Olympics finally have equal sports that women can compete in, but the

coverage on sports networks is unequal. Not only is it unequal, it is also sexist. The 2012
 Lockard 5

Olympics were the first games that allowed women to compete in all games/events (Scheadler,

and Wagstadd). It also covered more women's games than men, but only games that were

feminine. The media coverage for the game doesn't focus on talent or skill, it focuses on the

womens’ body and their features. Media portrays these female athletes as weak and dainty, while

they raise the men to glory for their strengths, and abilities. According to The Sports Journal

women receive poorer quality of technical production, less overall coverage, and are demeaned

as “girls'' while men are portrayed as “strong and powerful men” that are “historically important”

(Scheadler, and Wagstadd).

One of the main reasons it's hard for women to be successful in professional sports is the

support they receive from their federations and fans. The discussion about equal pay comes

down to viewership. But how can a team get more viewers without having their games

broadcasted and advertised? Not all media covers sports, only 10% does. Out of the 10%, only

2% cover women's events, events that are predominantly masculine (Scheadler and Wagstadd).

The way women's sports are being portrayed and viewed are feminine, slow and boring. If games

are getting views it is because of the women's body not their skill. There is a “systematic sexism”

for marketing women's games (Alvarez). Less coverage and advertisement equals less views,

less views equals less fans, less fans equals lower income revenue which equals less money the

players make.

Equal pay and marketing are not the only form of discrimination that women players

face. All around the US, women athletes are fighting for more than equal pay. They are fighting

for equality opportunities, and equal rights to play. They are also discriminated against by the

benefits they received/do not receive. This includes their travel amenities, training facilities,

sponsorships, paid leave (Mervosh and Caron). These things contributed to the equal pay fight
 Lockard 6

that professional women athletes fight for constantly. The USA women's national hockey team,

USWNT Soccer team complained to their federations about unequal addcomations they received

compared to their male counterparts. Eventually each federation listened and gave them equal

accommodations (Mervosh and Caron).

There have been players who put their careers on the line to receive equal pay. One such

player is Ada Hegerberg, a Norwegian soccer player who boycotted the world cup for equal pay.

Unequal pay is not just happening in soccer, but in other womens sports as well. These include

basketball, ice hockey, tennis, and surfing. The Women hockey league in America boycotted the

world championship. This boycott led to change, two weeks later the team made a four year deal

with USA hockey. They received $2,000 for training rinks and big bonuses for winning a medal.

Additionally, they now receive the same travel accommodations and money to split as the men's

team. “We want to do the fair thing, and the right thing — not just for hockey but for all

women,” says Meghan Duggan, the team’s captain (Mervosh and Caron).

Strides have been made in both tennis and surfing. Both genders in both sports now

receive equal prize money for winning competitions. It was not until 2007 that men and women

were paid the same amount in major tennis tournaments. Six big waves female professional

surfers, Andrea Moller, Bianca Valenti, Keala Kennelly, Paige Alms, Karen Tynan and Sabrina

Brennan, created a surfing organization, Commission Equity in Women’s Surfing (CEWS), that

strides to help create and increase the number of events and awards female athletes can

participate in and receive, as well as receive equal prize money. Their mission is to bring equality

to competitive surfing and provide a safe professional environment (Gowdy). After the women

surfers sent a letter saying that unequal pay is a discrimation against the states civil rights law,

(Mervosh and Caron) the surfing federations changed their rules. There was also a change in how
 Lockard 7

female surfers were being advertised. The organization helped to highlight women's tours and

help grow viewership and advertisements. They also added more programs for younger girls to

surf and highlighted pioneer surfers who are making a difference in the sport (Gowdy).

Protesting, speaking up and not staying silent is a start. Pro women surfers founded the

Commission for Equity in Women’s Surfing (CEWS). They were successful as in 2018 the

World Surfing league would offer equal prize money in the 2019 season. The Women’s Sport

Foundation quoted “[this is a] huge step for what has been a traditionally male-dominated sport”

(Gowdy). Another federation arising from this issue was Billy King's Leadership foundation,

where she advocates for equal rights in sports, race and gender (Kelly). These foundations are

helping younger girls see a future for them in their sports.

There are improvements across the board, and in time there will be more. There will

always be a gender divide and discrimination in the world; But with more and more female

professional athletes using their platforms to stand up and make a difference, the gender gap and

wage gap will continue to closed, it just takes time and consistency. Equal play, equal pay, no

more gender discrimination in sports, let the women play. By supporting these athletes as

humans and providing them with the same opportunities as male athletes, sports games will be

more enjoyable to watch as we will be watching all athletes compete for the same reason, to have

fun and show off their skills. They won't have to worry about equal pay or equal opportunities.

They can just focus on being the best version of themselves and showing off what they can

achieve.
 Lockard 8

Work cited

Adelphi University. “Male vs Female Professional Sports Salary Comparison.” Adelphi

University Online, 8 June 2021, online.adelphi.edu/articles/male-female-sports-salary.

Alvarez, Anya. “I Thought the Main Issue in Women’s Sports Was Equal Pay. I Was Wrong.”

The Guardian, 9 May 2019,

www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/09/i-thought-the-main-issue-in-womens-sports-w

as-equal-pay-i-was-wrong#:%7E:text=The%20focus%20of%20the%20conversation,of%

20being%20full%2Dtime%20athletes.

Chang, Ailsa, et al. “The U.S. Women's Soccer Team Struggle for Equal Pay Featured in New

'LFG' Documentary.” NPR, NPR, 29 June 2021,

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/28/1011037722/the-u-s-womens-soccer-team-struggle-for-e

qual-pay-featured-in-new-lfg-documentar.

“Equal Pay for Equal Work.” U.S. Department of Labor,

www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/internal/policies/equal-pa

y-for-equal-work. Accessed 31 Oct. 2021.

Gajanan, Mahita. “Uswnt Equal Pay Lawsuit: How They're Paid and Other Facts to

Know.” Time, Time, 30 Apr. 2021,

https://time.com/5653250/uswnt-equal-pay-lawsuit/.

“Gender Equality in Sport.” International Olympic Committee, 1 Nov. 2021,

olympics.com/ioc/gender-equality.
 Lockard 9

Gowdy, Kristen. “The Fight for Equal Pay in Women’s Sports - Women's Sports Foundation.”

Women’s Sports Foundation, 2021 Women’s Sports Foundation, 10 Oct. 2019,

www.womenssportsfoundation.org/education/fight-equal-pay-womens-sports.

“History | Boston Athletic Association.” B.A.A., www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/history.

Accessed 15 Nov. 2021.

“Inside the Fight for Equal Pay for Female Athletes.” YouTube, uploaded by Los Angeles Times,

8 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yzUYz3cTuY&t=426s.

Kelly, Laura. “The Crazy Real-Life Story of Billie Jean King.” Grunge.Com, 19 Oct. 2020,

www.grunge.com/221649/the-crazy-real-life-story-of-billie-jean-king/#:%7E:text=Billie

%20Jean%20King%20first%20attracted%20attention%20in%201961%2C,gone%20on%

20to%20win%2039%20Grand%20Slam%20titles.

Mertens, Maggie. “The U.S. National Women's Soccer Team Makes a Really Good Case for

Equal Pay.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 20 Mar. 2019,

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/03/why-the-us-national-womens

-soccer-team-is-suing/585202/.

Mervosh, Sarah, and Christina Caron. “8 Times Women in Sports Fought for Equality.” The New

York Times, 2021 The New York Times Company, 11 Mar. 2019,

www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/sports/women-sports-equality.html#:%7E:text=The%20ye

ar%201973%20was%20a%20big%20one%20for,in%20tournaments%20that%20featured

%20players%20of%20both%20sexes.

“Murray, Caitlin, and Sam Morris. “The Guardian.” Revealed: The $730,000 Gender Pay Gap in

US World Cup Bonuses, Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies, 28

June 2019,
 Lockard 10

www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2019/jun/28/revealed-the-731003-gender-p

ay-gap-in-us-world-cup-bonuses++https:/time.com/5653250/uswnt-equal-pay-lawsuit.

McCarriston Jul 11, Shanna. “Uswnt Equal Pay Lawsuit: Everything You Need to Know about

the Women's World Cup Champions' Legal Fight.” CBSSports.com, 11 July 2019,

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/uswnt-equal-pay-lawsuit-everything-you-need-to

-know-about-the-womens-world-cup-champions-legal-fight/.

Scheadler, Travis, and Audrey Wagstadd Ph. D. ,. MJE. “Exposure to Women’s Sports: Changing

Attitudes Toward Female Athletes.” The Sports Journal, 2018 United States Sports

Academy, 5 June 2018,

thesportjournal.org/article/exposure-to-womens-sports-changing-attitudes-toward-female-

athletes.

“U.S. Women's Team Files Wage-Discrimination Action vs. U.S. Soccer.” ESPN, ESPN Internet

Ventures, 31 Mar. 2016,

https://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/story/_/id/15102506/women-national-team-files-wag

e-discrimination-action-vs-us-soccer-federation.

Women Had Higher Median Earnings than Men in Relatively Few Occupations in 2018 : The

Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR

STATISTICS, 22 Mar. 2019,

www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/women-had-higher-median-earnings-than-men-in-relatively-

few-occupations-in-2018.htm.

Wsl. “The World Surf League (WSL) Announces Prize Money Equality.” World Surf League, 5

Sept. 2018,
 Lockard 11

https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/345569/the-world-surf-league-wsl-announces-pri

ze-money-equality.