#9/2019
TOPIC OF CONVERSATION #2 OF 2019
Every year since the WOM newsletter started, money has had a stand-alone spotlight for different reasons – 2017 and 2018.
But WOM has also addressed money in the role it has played in shaping gender inequality in many industries.
Take the beer industry in which women invented beer but the historical circumstances to produce more volume for the demand, enabled men to step in the lead. And what about the film industry having a similar historical path.
Gender-pay gap continues to be a topic of conversation, rightly so, and more still needs to be done to call out on the discrepancies in other industries. For example, how often has it been questioned in sport?
But WOM has also addressed money in the role it has played in shaping gender inequality in many industries.
Take the beer industry in which women invented beer but the historical circumstances to produce more volume for the demand, enabled men to step in the lead. And what about the film industry having a similar historical path.
Gender-pay gap continues to be a topic of conversation, rightly so, and more still needs to be done to call out on the discrepancies in other industries. For example, how often has it been questioned in sport?
SPORTS INDUSTRY AND THE GENDER MONEY GAP
With the Women’s World Cup underway this is a great time to become more consciously aware of the sports industry gender-pay gap.
Let’s look at some sports.
Let’s look at some sports.
Tennis
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It was in fact Billie Jean King who led the advocacy for equal pay in tennis. In 1973 she threatened to not play in the US Open unless the prize money was equal. The result: the US Open took the lead and has been paying equal prize money ever since.
And it was Venus Williams who pushed for the last of the Grand Slam tournaments – Wimbledon - to make this change back in 2005. Although it wasn’t until 2007 that Wimbledon equalised the prize money. Some have argued that the differences between the men’s and women’s games gives reason why female tennis players have been awarded smaller prizes but in fact the difference in the game is only relevant to four of the grand slams and not all the other world tournaments. Moreover, in spite of Novak Djokovic’s 2016 statement saying that men matches attract more people and therefore they should earn more money (Rafael Nadal also made a similar statement), the data proves otherwise. Though it should be noted that Novak did go on to say that the data needs to support the discrepancies, and otherwise it should be a fair distribution. |
Photo by Renith R on Unsplash
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Football (soccer)
Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash
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The gender pay gap in football was brought into light by the US women’s team after they won the World Cup back in 2015, the third time in a row. Their winnings as a team: $2 million. The USA men’s team winnings after they lostin round sixteen: $9 million.
And to think that the US men’s team didn’t even qualify for the 2018 World Cup whereas the US women’s team has qualified for every World Cup since 1991 and on top of have won four Olympic Games. |
Golf
In 2018, the golfer who placed for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) finished 100th with a tour money list made $113,220. Whereas the PGA Tour player (male) who finished 100th on a tour money list made $1.2 million.
HOW DOES INEQUALITY AFFECT THE SPORTS INDUSTRY?
More often, women aren’t able to practice their sport as their primary career and instead have to take time out of their career in order to pay.
OTHER AREAS OF INEQUALITY RELATED TO THE SPORTS INDUSTRY
Other areas where the sports industry has gender-based disparities in pay are with the coaches.
But disparities are not only related to pay. There are other areas that effect an athletes performance where there are unequal treatments such as: travel policies (accommodation, flights, travel comforts when traveling for games), retirement funds, coaching received, medical treatment, where they play, and so on. etc.
But disparities are not only related to pay. There are other areas that effect an athletes performance where there are unequal treatments such as: travel policies (accommodation, flights, travel comforts when traveling for games), retirement funds, coaching received, medical treatment, where they play, and so on. etc.
A GLOBAL REALITY
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This is not only a US and UK issue but also New Zealand, Australia, and across the African continent.
The complexity of pay in New Zealand rugby is an example that it’s not all black (no pun intended) and white. |
Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash
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ENDORSEMENTS ARE GREAT BUT THATS NOT WHY YOU ARE AN ATHLETE
Women have to look more for endorsements in order to be able to play the sport they love whereas their counterparts are able to simply focus on playing the game because they get paid enough to do so. The interest in being a sports player is the love for playing and the talent and skills that have been built up over so many years of dedication.
OTHER INTERESTING RESOURCES
Want to see the earnings per minute of players?
And the argument that women’s sports aren’t as popular as men’s can’t really be made because there is no equal opportunity to prove that as this podcast interview mentions. Moreover, the statistics are showing that it doesn’t matter which gender is paying, because if it’s good sport, it’s good sport.
And the argument that women’s sports aren’t as popular as men’s can’t really be made because there is no equal opportunity to prove that as this podcast interview mentions. Moreover, the statistics are showing that it doesn’t matter which gender is paying, because if it’s good sport, it’s good sport.
Published in June 2019.