By Milou Hoeft, Year 12
Equality has been a largely discussed topic, especially in sports for a long time. Often, the focus in sports is put on the men’s teams, as they are regarded as more successful and able. This has led to many discussions as women are not given the same opportunities as men to even try to prove themselves. Even though sports are split into categories by sex, this does not mean that it should change the way in which the athletes are treated. The recurrence of male domination across different domains is alarming, which is exactly why the Canadian women’s national football team has decided that it is time for a change.
The team is demanding equal pay compared to the men’s national football team. Why should people doing the exact same thing and putting in the same effort be paid differently? As, to be able to draw attention to these inequalities, the team wore their practice jerseys inside-out so that the logo was no longer visible. By doing this they wanted to draw attention to the lack of funding for their team compared to the men’s. In 2021, the CSA invested $11 million in the men’s national football team compared to only $5.1 million in the women’s.
The SheBelieves Cup is a football tournament hosted yearly by the USA, in which four national women’s teams (including the USA) compete against each other. Every year, three different teams are invited, Canada being one of them in 2023. The purpose of this tournament is not only to support the sport but also to empower and inspire girls and women all around the world. For one of these games, the Canadian players wore purple warm-up jerseys stating “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” on the front. The players had also decided that they would not play in their next match if nothing about the situation changed. However, they were unable to proceed with the strike, as Canada Soccer threatened to use legal action.
Kaylyn Kyle, a former Canadian football player, said that the main issue is a lack of communication and transparency. Having talked to the men’s players, they see it the same way. All of them feel as if they are not being held up to date or talked to honestly. What really stands out is that the smaller wages for female players are not based on their performance. Even though the Canadian women’s football team has been quite successful in the past, it was still decided to decrease the budget for 2023. What is holding us back from making a change so that all athletes, proving themselves by success, are treated with respect and honesty?
The Canadian Women’s Football Team Fighting for Equality
