Home » Equal Pay or Equity: Gender Equality in Football with Ada Hegerberg

Equal Pay or Equity: Gender Equality in Football with Ada Hegerberg

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With the Euros progressing in full swing, interest in women’s football is at an all-time high, and it’s only getting better. Attendance records were smashed, broadcasting channels set viewership records, and much more. We have seen various new developments resulting from this growth, one of which is Equal Pay. While it all sounds like a positive development, is it positive, or is the term ‘Equal Pay’ deceiving everyone? Sporting Her recently talked with the first-ever Ballon d’Or winner and Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg where she heavily spoke about the gender inequality women face in sports.

Equal Pay adopted by Federations

UEFA stated that the prize money for the Euros is now doubled this year compared to 2017. The amount mentioned by UEFA would be the highest ever received due to the recent developments in women’s football. While the numbers differ from what the men receive, it is a guideline to understand the equal Pay adopted by many federations. But what exactly is ‘Equal Pay’? Does it mean that both teams will be receiving the same salary? The answer is not as straightforward. To understand it better, one has to look at the details announced by the federations offering equal play to its teams.

Much of everyone’s assumption about ‘Equal Pay’ stems from the recent victory of the US Women’s National Team in their lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation. The terms state that the federation would henceforth pay both teams equally. It has been a long battle for the USWNT to achieve this. However, the agreements settled by the federations of the European countries are far more different. And hence why, the term ‘Equal Pay’ can be deceiving.

Many European countries, including Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain, have recently announced changes in their payment scheme, equalising specific payment disparities between men and women. The Netherlands announced that it would offer both teams the same bonuses and percentages of the commercial agreements. While Switzerland, through their sponsor Credit Suisse, equalises premiums for the first time. Spain has a similar approach, with a new bonus, better image rights, and a percentage of future sponsorship deals.

Spain vs Finland, UEFA Women’s EURO. Photo by James Whitehead

Earning the exact percentages and earning the same amount are two very different things. And because the USWNT would be making the same amount as the men, there seems to be a crossover in understanding the term and confusing it with what it means for the European teams.

It is essential to understand that the position of the USWNT with that of many European teams is far from each other. The federations in Europe offer equal percentages, but that does not translate to equal Pay. A simple example would be UEFA announcing that this year at the Euros, the champions would receive €660,000. In comparison, the men receive around 16 million euros, so, even with the exact percentages, the final amount each player receives is contrastingly different from the men.

 

Equal Opportunities above Equal Pay

While many people are focused on ‘Equal Pay,’ another vital topic is being overlooked: ‘Equal Opportunities.’ The significant difference in men’s and women’s football is said to be the money, but unfortunately, it is the opportunities provided. It is not the same or as easy for young girls and women to thrive in the world of football as it is for men. And that is the one place that needs critical examination in the fight for equality.

“I’ve never really been that vocal about equal pay, but I’ve been very vocal about equal opportunities because before talking about any salaries or economy-wise, I think it’s very important to look at how we’re dealing with girls from the bottom up. Are we taking young girls as seriously as we take young boys? I don’t think so.” – Ada Hegerberg

Ada Hegerberg has essentially identified one of the critical elements required to improve women’s football. While there are several academies and camps for males to learn football, the same is not necessarily true for girls. Another factor to consider is the environment in which the players train. The players’ working atmosphere must be ideal. While the players ought to be paid well enough to live comfortably, federations and governing bodies must emphasise the quality of the working circumstances.

“Today, we’ve still got a long way to creating an environment where they can get confidence, where they (women) can work on their qualities, be taken seriously in order to get a much, much better end product because when I watch it from afar, from a player’s perspective, I want the football to get better in the future.” – Ada Hegerberg

Individual clubs’ facilities and services, like training grounds and locker rooms, also vary significantly. Many clubs do not have full-time staff or physiotherapists. True professionalisation of the leagues, on the other hand, would allow many female players to concentrate only on football. The focus must be on providing proper playing conditions, and the federations and the clubs must provide it to strengthen the future.

“I think there are some parts; you need to start funding much better from the federations – you need to start taking them (women’s athletes) seriously. I think we have a long way to go in the culture of the federations to give them the opportunities they need to develop players, to give them opportunities for women and players. Over the years, we’ve heard all these stories about equipment, travelling, conditions, and lack of fields. There is a minimum that I think you need to practise your football, especially in a federation when you’re with your national team, and that’s a matter of respect in the end.” – Ada Hegerberg

Equity through Visibility 

Visibility is perhaps one of the most important aspects as we talk about the growth of the sport. The argument that constantly surrounds women’s football is that it does not generate as much as men. Without offering a platform, the argument is moot. Hegerberg calls it a ‘Vicious Cycle’ and mentions the need for it to end moving forward. When invested in broadcasting, the numbers have been more significant than the expectations of the said broadcasting companies.

“I think, for example, you can see the platform given by DAZN. Their response has been enormous; more than 200 markets have been watching [the UEFA Women’s Champions League]. You just need to give us a platform, and we will deliver and deliver and deliver.” – Ada Hegerberg

Sky Sports replaced BT Sports as the English Women’s Super League’s primary broadcaster. The numbers produced on Sky Sports have been staggering, with an estimated average audience of 125,000 viewers per game. And the best figure was 550,000 viewers for the match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. On the other hand, DAZN, UEFA Women’s Champions League’s primary broadcaster in their first season, clocked in over 64 million views. The epic UWCL final between Lyon and Barcelona saw a record-setting live cumulative viewership of 3.6 million globally. The UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 is broadcasted in 195 territories and is expected to reach 250 million views.

The attendance records have been astounding if these broadcasting numbers aren’t enough. The opening match between England and Austria played at the historic Old Trafford in Manchester for the Euro gathered an audience of over 68,871. A new UEFA record after beating the previous Euros record of 41,301 set at the 2013 final between Germany and Norway. Barcelona’s historic Camp Nou twice saw a crowd of over 91,000 people gather to watch the UEFA Women’s Champions League matches.

The research shows that investing in the sport generates a huge reaction. Positive media marketing has had a significant impact on the game. Slowly, the financial build-up can take place for the sustenance and survival of women’s football.

Sustainable Ways to Develop Women’s Football

Perhaps the most significant disparity in women’s football is that many players do not make a livable wage while playing football. Hence, having to work two jobs and perhaps also being unable to focus entirely on football. It is a tough road to becoming a professional player as a woman. Currently, women’s football is at a stage where its sustenance depends on men’s football. Grassroots and lower-tiered clubs heavily rely on their men’s teams for funding and survival. Many clubs have had to fold their women’s teams because of the pandemic losses and inadequate funding. How can athletes continue this football path if they cannot make a livable wage?

“You just need to give us a platform, and we will deliver and deliver and deliver. Out of that, we’ll slowly start to build this financial mode that you can build off because today we’re too dependent on men’s football, men’s clubs to survive, you could say. Are we given the right tools to survive? I don’t think so, but that’s where big organisations get in; where we as players need to be vocal about it and perform because if we don’t perform, we won’t change either.” – Ada Hegerberg

While there is often a comparison between men’s and women’s football, the most significant difference is that men’s football got the chance, substantial investments and trust from companies for much longer than women’s football. Women do not receive the same resources and tools as men to survive. And that is the most crucial piece of the puzzle. The big organisations have once leapt with men’s football; then, for its growth, an opportunity must be provided for women’s football.

 

7,000 Reasons Why: Lack of Appetite or Forward Thinking?

England is hosting the biggest international football tournament of the summer with the UEFA Women’s Euros; however, some of the stadiums are disappointing, to say the least. Some of the stadiums are too small, inconvenient and just not good enough to host the summer’s biggest tournament.

English FA CEO Mark Bullingham said that the FA followed a tender process throughout every major ground and city in the country. However, very few came forward wanting to host the Women’s Euros. Some of the clubs and cities had to be persuaded to come forward to host the tournament. He also said, “If you think people were knocking our door down to host matches, that was not the case.”

Iceland international and captain Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir criticised the grounds hosting the team for the Euros, calling them ‘training grounds’. The former Lyon (now Juventus) player told Their Pitch podcast, “I’m a little bit disappointed. It’s shocking. There are so many stadiums in England, and we have a training ground from Manchester City taking what, 4,000 spectators.”

It’s always disappointing to see such instances circling women’s football. Whether the decisions surrounding the tournament were made in the past, present or future, the cold, harsh truth is that we are still surrounded by misogynistic and sexist mentality. Until that doesn’t go away, there will be more incidents like these pulling behind every step forward in women’s football.

“It’s disrespectful towards women’s football because it’s much bigger than people think. You think women’s football is getting two steps ahead, but something comes up like that. It’s just a step back.” – Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir

 

Written by Unnati Naidu

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