Prakriti Deb, Pune
Ahead of the upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup, players from Australia’s national women’s soccer team ‘The Matildas’, released a video to address the persistent gender pay gap in soccer. They also called out FIFA’s handling of the issue.
“736 footballers have the honor of representing their countries on the biggest stage during this tournament. Yet, many female players are denied the basic right to organise and collectively bargain during negotiations,” the players say in the video. “We call on those running the game to work to provide opportunities for girls and women in football, whether that be players, coaches, administrators, or officials,” they added.
A significant disparity in prize money is evident between the FIFA Women’s World Cup and their male counterpart. While the women’s event offers a total prize pool of $110 million, the men’s tournament in Qatar last year had a much larger sum of $440 million. However, FIFA has announced its intention to work towards achieving pay parity for both events, aiming to bridge the gap during the 2026 and 2027 World Cups for women and men.
The Matildas have previously advocated for equal pay, and their recent efforts are not the first time they have spoken out against the gender pay gap. Back in 2015, they took a stand by going on strike, demanding fair wages, and succeeded in securing a minimum percentage that matches that of the Australian male team at tournaments. This accomplishment was made possible through a collective bargaining agreement reached in 2019.
This year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup is being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The tournament is scheduled to commence on Thursday, July 20, and will feature participation from a total of 32 teams.