Apparently, $24 Million Covers the Cost of Gender Discrimination

It shouldn’t have taken U.S. soccer this long to pay women and men equally

It only took six years, but we made it. The patriarchy finally conceded and is forced to consider women worthy of equal pay. This is a sure victory that must be celebrated, but it also goes to show how deluded our conception of gender equality really is. 

Five women of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) made a federal claim about gender-based pay discrimination in 2016, and only now has the federation agreed to pay both men and women on equal accounts. The federation also made a promise to pay both the men’s and women’s programs equally in the future.

The time frame of gender equality in America is notoriously long and quite often behind the curve of societal thinking. While it took the U.S. women’s soccer team six years to win their settlement, the U.S. Soccer Federation didn’t create a women’s program until 7474 years after the organization’s inception. Oh, and it only took 50 years to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment to our Consitution’s 28th amendment after the bill’s introduction.

It is apparent in sports — and nearly every other aspect in life — that women’s rights are a mere consolation prize after the winners have their turn. This pattern is blatantly displayed in this on-going battle as the players of the USWNT are metaphorically expected to be waiting in line for equal pay only after the men have received their paychecks.

It is frankly ridiculous that we must have this conversation about how men and women should be paid equally, rather than the fact that they must be. It is unbelievable that this is still such a divisive topic when the women’s team gains just as much, if not more, public attention from fans than the men’s team.

Sure, the $24 million settlement is a very large sum, and definitely moves to close the gender pay gap between the male and women’s teams. The payment from the U.S. Soccer Federation includes back pay for multiple years of unequal pay. How considerate of them.

However, I would also like to know if they considered the implications of race and ethnicity in this backpay. Were they accounting for the fact that, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Black women are paid 63 cents on the dollar compared to white men, while white women make 78 cents, or the fact that Hispanic women are paid a lesser 55 cents on the dollar? 

If the U.S. Soccer Federation is serious about this commitment to equal pay, they should attempt to address the institutionalized and intersectional gender pay gap that women and athletes already face. It's something to consider given the fact that Black women have been a part of the team since the start of the women’s program.

Thus, this is a layered issue. It won’t be remedied by a nice promise and paycheck. The issues are deeply-rooted.

Of course, this isn’t to take away from the tireless and impassioned work that both players and supporters have put into this cause. They made history and are contributing to paving a path to close the gender gap, but shouldn’t have had to bear this burden in the first place.

The system that the U.S. Soccer Federation created has allowed for unequal pay for over 30 years, and it is only now that women are being acknowledged equally for their profession. But it will take more than just this moment in sports history to make gender equality and equal pay a reality for every woman.

F*** the patriarchy, ladies — go get your bag.