Are Women Finally Men’s Equal?

It is 2022, gas prices are soaring, rent is unfathomable, and now the US national women’s team is finally receiving equal pay to eliminate the pay gap. Let us give a little background on how we came to this monumental moment in history.

Unlike men’s soccer, women’s soccer has faced adversity throughout the years. The origins of women’s soccer dates back to the 1800s stemming from the United Kingdom. Soccer was seen as a violent sport back then and when the interest started to rise, the idea that women should participate in such a “ masculine sport” arose. Credited as the founder of the first women’s team according to the history of soccer, Helen Graham Matthews’s team was known for playing under false identities to protect themselves. This first team, unfortunately, shut down and 10 years later Nettie Honeyball created what would be today’s soccer club. The rise of this club was once again seen as a threat to the overall masculinity of the sport. The rise of women’s soccer saw its height until 1921, when the Football Association of England banned women from playing soccer. Today, women worldwide are able to freely enjoy playing soccer.

Women success in international soccer

Being one of the most decorated teams in the world, the USWNT currently holds the world championship title. In fact it’s been the USWNT that has put the United States on the world’s radar when the USMNT has failed numerous times to even make it past the quarterfinals in the World Cup.

2015, the women’s world cup final match against Japan, the world’s most-watched soccer match between both mens and women’s games. Yet, still, at this time the country’s highest performing athletes are getting underpaid whilst the team that is receiving the higher pay is performing sub-average, yeah that makes sense. The most profitable team is making less after demonstrating years of success.

Its not just USWNT being underpaid in today’s society, the gender pay gap is still evident. According to Pew Research, women make 85% of what men earned. Even if a woman was to perform better than their counterpart, men will still make more.

For the first time throughout sports history, there is some sort of equality. Men and women are receiving the same benefits. Maybe this could be the start of equal opportunity not just in the sports world but in the working world, equal pay for equal work. Maybe this could be the push that is needed for motivation for sports like The WBNA. Women for years have been denied equal opportunities and equal pay when sometimes women provide/ produce better quality work.

USWNT fought for 6 years to come to this point in time. 6 years where they have proven they were the superior team. This might be a step in the right direction but what is next for the USWNT, not only that what is next for the rest of the women in the world fighting to prove that they are worth equal pay? If it took till 2022 to come to this monumental point in time, when will the world be truly equal for everyone?