Is Pay Equality Possible in Professional Soccer?
One of the fundamental steps needed to achieve equal pay is to modernize the laws that concern it. It’s also important to eliminate sexism and to be aware of the growth of women’s sports worldwide.
Beyond the economics
Equality in soccer, and in sports in general, isn’t only an economic issue. Although pay and prizes are important, the key lies in equal opportunities for development, regardless of gender.
After all, in order to win, regardless of gender, it all begins by starting to practice a certain sport. As long as the social basis for playing a certain sport isn’t guaranteed for both sexes, we can’t talk about equality in sports.
When it comes to equality, the administration is key. Equality is reached by establishing public policies and equal access to sports regardless of gender or socioeconomic status.
In order to achieve these objectives, it’s important for both the political and legal sphere to be involved in the fight for greater equality. This should occur in sports and in other spheres as well.
New sports laws
In February 2019, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved the draft of a new sports law. The new regulations would replace the last law which was instated in 1990.
Since the last law was instated so long ago, it doesn’t address many of the central issues concerning sports today. Among these issues is the fight against any type of discrimination and violence.
The central objective of the new sports regulations is to combat discrimination and to promote gender equality. In the second article of the regulation, the right to practice sports and physical activity is defended. The text is as follows:
…the General State Administration must guarantee the access of citizens to practice physical activity or sport under equal conditions and opportunities.
In addition, the new regulations will allow Spain to align itself with international mandates proclaimed by the UN in the field of human rights and the fight against any type of discrimination in sports and society in general.
Equal pay in soccer
When it comes to soccer, the new regulations promote equality with two innovative points. The first deals with equal access to sports scholarships. The regulations state that sports scholarships must be allocated in an equitable and balanced way regardless of the gender of the applicant.
The second point deals with equal pay. Financial aid from public money must be granted equally, between female and male athletes.
In addition to these two initiatives, it’s important to point out that the new sports law also guarantees the right to maternity leave for female athletes. This is an important point when it comes to achieving equality in sports. When the regulations are ratified, 40 percent of management positions in state sports institutions in Spain will be held by women.
Now, the question that we must address is, will this new law be able to promote pay equity in soccer? The answer is no, unfortunately. This change in legal text isn’t sufficient to resolve the structural inequality that has been going on for centuries.
That is why it’s important for the modernization of legal matters to be accompanied by public policies and awareness campaigns. The incorporation of women into international sports is already a fact.
Only in tandem will the State and civil society be able to work together to progress women’s rights. It’s important to end unequal pay in sports and the labor market in general.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Ley 10/1990, de 15 de octubre, del Deporte. Extraído de: https://www.boe.es/buscar/pdf/1990/BOE-A-1990-25037-consolidado.pdf
- Marta Eulalia Blanco García. La igualdad de oportunidades entre mujeres y hombres en el deporte. Extraído de: http://www.fes-sociologia.com/files/congress/12/papers/5187.pdf
