Injustice of Professional Female Athletes

Introduction

As young athletes, I’m sure many of you know that your dream is to play the sport you love in college, whether it’s D1 or D2, and in general, anyone’s dream is simply to be rich!! It has come to my attention that the average female athlete ALWAYS gets paid less than the average male athlete. This is absolutely, unbelievably, and extremely unfair. Women are working equally as hard as men but still get paid thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars less. Female athletes are an inspiration to many young girls and even a motivation to try a new sport or pursue a certain one. Not only are they promoting the healthier lives of young athletes, but they are also working hard every single day to be the best in the sport that they love. This begs the question: why is nobody worried about the injustice found in the professional sports industry?

Athletic Injustices

The great Olympic events are a worldwide excitement to everyone, as they show a wide spread of amazing and fascinating sports. However, the Olympics are yet another event where gender inequality takes place. The New York Times clearly pointed out how “some events continue to exclude women” like the Olympic Decathlon, which is a 10-event track and field series that “is only for men” (Minsberg 2021). Once again, controversial opinions have been spread throughout social media how only male athletes are “strong enough” to complete this event. The fight for equality within Olympic Sports continues to amaze me. Strong female athletes and leaders like Nicole M. Lavoi, director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota have spoken out saying how she is still proud of women who are “outperforming their male teammates, although they get fewer resources, less support, less viability” (Minsberg 2021). She hoped that her powerful words would reach many, but still hopes to create even bigger change.

The discrimination that women face every day is not acceptable.

In women’s basketball, the “highest-paid women’s basketball player has earned less than the lowest-paid National Basketball Association player” (Adelphi University 2021). This strongly emphasizes that women are not being recognized enough for their accomplishments. Equal pay between female and male athletes should not be controversial. Women have had rights since 1920 and society should continue to enforce this by providing a close average among athletes. This is a chart for reference and as you can see, there is a dramatic difference in most of these sports.

Feminists

Strong feminists within the sports industry such as Billie King Jean, Megan Rapinoe, Venus Williams, Serena Williams have all spoken up for this passionate community. The famous tennis player, Billie King Jean has taken to action by co-founding organizations such as “World Team Tennis and Billie Jean King Leadership – both of which are geared towards female access to sports, inclusivity, and diversity” (Sze 2020). This sparked a sort of rebellion and awareness towards this cause since recently in 2019, 28 professional female soccer players filed a lawsuit for gender discrimination. They argued for equal pay stating that they are “also seeking the same training, playing, and travel conditions as [their] male counterparts” (Sza 2020).

Call to Action

This year, 2022, is the time where growth and change needs to occur - not stand in the dark. In order to create a healthier society, where women aren’t belittled, we need to create a change by encouraging future generations to stand with females who are not getting paid as much in professional sports. I encourage you to educate yourself on the roots of gender equality and help promote women’s professional sports. It is crucial to understand the importance of women's empowerment to grow as a community. Let’s not travel back in time, back to a place where women weren’t treated fairly. Let’s envision a future where equality is highly promoted - this starts with our generation speaking out against women's payment inequality in professional sports.

- Lindsay Fong

Outreach Director of Girls4Sports

Citations

“Male vs Female Professional Sports Salary Comparison.” Adelphi University Online, 4 Jan. 2022, https://online.adelphi.edu/articles/male-female-sports-salary/.

Maricar Sze, et al. “Maricar Sze.” Sports Empire, 27 Jan. 2020, https://sportsempire.org/females-athletes-advocates-equality/#:~:text=5%20Female%20Athletes%20Who%20Are%20Famous%20Advocates%20For,4%20Serena%20Williams.%20...%205%20Abby%20Wambach.%20.

Minsberg, Talya. “When Gender Equality at the Olympics Is Not so Equal.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 July 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/22/sports/olympics/olympics-athletes-gender.html?msclkid=38db8eb3cf0f11ec8edc0f73685a0eda.