On this International Women’s Rights Day, we celebrate the contribution of women in all areas of our daily life, and while we talk about sport at Balle Courbe (for the most part), it’s clearly the spectrum that matters most to us.
A day like March 8th is a good time to step back and reflect on our community’s positions on many issues. The wage gap between men and women has not been resolved fast enough to suit our tastes. Although it is half of what it was forty years ago all over the country, The gap is still very real when the average men’s wage is $ 16,000 higher than the average women’s wage.
There is still a lot of work to be done.
The world of sports is affected
In the world of sports, the reality is very different because salaries are often dictated by the influx of fans and interest of advertisers. Thus, the major men’s leagues are at the fore and it is not surprising that only women are present Forbes magazine’s list of the 100 highest-paid athletes They are Naomi Osaka (29th) and Serena Williams (33rd).
Serena Williams is a huge star and has been defeated by so many NFL and NBA players that you won’t be able to recognize them on the street. Osaka, quietly, carried the torch from the younger Williams sisters. With two names on the list, it doubled in the last year as Williams was the only one in the world among the well-paid athletes.
Another striking example is women’s football in Canada. Diana Matheson, national team player, talks about the financial difficulties women face, although they are among the elite in the world, sometimes they have to live with their parents until they reach the end of the month. Matheson, who plays in the NFL, is right to raise the flag. The minimum wage for a NWSL player is $ 15,750 while the maximum wage is $ 44,000. There is no Montreal Impact operator, for example, It earns less than $ 54,000 a season.
Yes, NWSL does not have the status of MLS, but the level of athletes is not lower and one can say that for equal work one needs an equivalent salary. USL (League under MLS) players earn an average of $ 30,000 a season, often much more. Can you say without hesitation that the USL is more famous than the NWSL? Are you going to see the second men’s league match before the best women’s league?
This is just football. We’re not even telling you about the miserable finances of the women’s hockey tournaments, even in Canada, and the WNBA in the United States.
Is there any solution?
The problem is that it resembles a chicken or an egg with the women’s sports leagues. Wages are low because landlords don’t pump money in because the protagonists don’t come. If backers don’t come, sponsors won’t spend on appearing. This is how the vicious circle of women’s wages goes in the world of sports.
As for amateur athletes preparing for the Olympics, for example, that falls on the shoulders of the sports federations, which in turn depend on government funding. Again, could we ask more taxpayers for amateur sport? I’m not sure the movement will go smoothly through the board.
Unfortunately this is a thorny situation insofar as we can demand equal pay, but it undoubtedly spells the end of the women’s leagues due to profitability. Without leagues to deliver annual work, it’s hard to ask the best athletes to dedicate themselves to their sport when there is only appearances every four years due to the Olympics. Our hockey and soccer players, in particular, find it difficult to make a living from their sport – and that’s when they make a living from it. Can we really ask them to dedicate themselves to him motivated by the goodness of the soul any more?
It sounds ridiculous to us.
We can improve the performance bonuses for the Olympics, but here again, it’s the merit principle that we only solve a small part of the problem.
It’s boring to say, but magic fixes don’t exist because money rules the world, and unfortunately, women’s sports are still shunned. So they don’t make any money.
Efforts must be made
Without saying it’s the public’s fault – we must admit that we have a portion of the responsibility with our own interest in women’s sport and the coverage presented on our media platforms (Balle Courbe, included).
By avoiding the accusations, let’s say we can make an effort to appreciate the women’s leagues.
Since March 8th, let’s remember that the gaps are still there and it’s often ridiculous. Let’s remember this with the goal of improving the situation. Otherwise, the conviction will be in vain.
“Evil thinker. Music scholar. Hipster-friendly communicator. Bacon geek. Amateur internet enthusiast. Introvert.”