Put aside the 93% of Spanish women following in the footsteps of the USWNT, protests over pay and working conditions are just starting

Patricia Guijarro of FC Barcelona celebrates with her team mates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Women's Chamoions League round of 32 2nd leg between FC Barcelona Women and BIIK Kazygurt at the Mini Estadi on September 26, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Sept. 25, 2018 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The unfortunate state of affairs

Players in Spain’s top-flight women’s league are in talks with the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs after a strike that saw eight games postponed on November 16th. The strike was in protest over the payment structure in the Primeira Division with players demanding a salary revision and better working conditions. Despite being one of the top women’s leagues in the world, players in the league feel that they are receiving the short end of the bargain from the authorities and after a year of failed negotiations, the players finally took decisive action on the matter. The protest is the first of its kind in Spain and an overwhelming 90% of the players from the 16 clubs represented in Primeira Division signed up to take part in the strike. The standoff came to an end after the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs moved to reopen negotiations.

The players have since reduced their demands to about €16,000 as the minimum wage from the initial €20,000. They are also asking for protection in the case that protects their maternity rights, working conditions and an increase in the minimum hours per week from 20 to 40 hours. One major challenge is that many of the players in the league are not considered full-time players and are only employed on a part-time basis which cuts their earnings drastically. This type of situation can be seen all over Europe for example in England, players in the Women’s Super League women earn an average of £18,000 whereas the male players in the English Premier League earn an average of £2.6 million a year leaving some to have to supplement their football careers with jobs to make ends meet. Spain is just the latest to experience the current wave sweeping across women’s football of players demanding fairer working conditions. Football is one of the most unequal sports and for the women playing in the game, their voices can now be heard loudly; “enough is enough, we want a fair system.”

 USWNT: World Champions and women’s rights icons

The fight for better pay by women’s teams is all about fighting the system and demanding more equitable conditions and there is no better representation for this fight than the USWNT. Recently the world watched as the United States won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and immediately took the win as an opportunity to voice their issues in the press and sending a message to the world about the state of women’s football. Many would know of the ongoing dispute between the USWNT and the United States Soccer Federation over an unequal pay structure between the women’s and men's sides that has been playing out for a number of years. USA Women’s football team are champions and heroes off the field for their activism in the face of what they deem to be gender discrimination. In 2016, five players namely Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Rebecca Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan also filed a wage discrimination complaint against their employers, the USA Soccer Federation. In March 2019, 28 players signed a class action lawsuit revealing details of perks and benefits that only the male team receive which included private jets and winning bonuses that were substantially higher for the US Men’s team. A big argument for the USWNT is that their record is far more impressive with more games and trophies won that the male team but receive substantially lower salaries and benefits.

“To create a snapshot of the odds against female footballers we can take a look at the fact that Lionel Messi earns more in salaries that the professional women players in the top seven leagues combined.”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

 The example that USWNT has set in deciding to battle it out with their employers has undoubtedly caused the issue to be brought to the forefront and has had a cascading impact on the rest of women’s football. Their decision to take the fight to the public has seemingly inspired other players to do the same. Players speaking out on this issue, are actually starting to make a difference. For example, Norway's women’s football team won equal pay in 2017 after the men’s team forfeited some of their benefits. In other cases, the associations and the players settle their disputes outside of court and in private as in the case of the Australian national team which reached a deal where they would be awarded the same pay as the men’s team. The Matildas will also be allowed to travel business class for international travel and a commitment from the national governing body to raise coaching standards. Fighting this battle on the public domain has its benefits and most importantly that fans can see it all play out as is the case of USWNT. Fans have since backed and supported the team in their quest for equal pay chanting, “equal pay” as the players went up to receive their medals during the FIFA World Cup final. USWNT fearless approach in demanding fair compensation has galvanized support for the cause and a growing movement around equal pay in the United States and in the worldwide media. Although the USWNT case was under mediation, the talks stopped after what the federation was unwilling to meet the demands set by the players. Megan Rapinoe the co-captain and most vocal player said, “When [US Soccer] is ready to have a serious conversation about equal pay, I think the conversations will go better."

Megan Rapinoe of the USA celebrates after scoring her team's first goal during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France.

(July 6, 2019 - Source: 5021154/Getty Images Europe)

Steps being taken by players around the world

In Italy, the Women’s team is still considered amateurs according to law and therefore they are currently allowed to earn up to €33,000 before taxes because of the amateur status a law that is archaic. Football in Italy is not traditionally a woman’s sport and as such there are many barriers for women. Despite this, the Italian women’s team qualified for their first World Cup in 20 years and made it to the quarter-finals. The momentum from their World Cup performance has led to more Italians backing the women’s team. The conditions in Italy still represent a culture that views football as a male sport, however, the perceptions in the country are beginning to shift due to the performance of the women’s team to qualify for the World Cup, whereas the Azzurri failed to qualify for the men’s edition in 2018.

One player who has been vocal about the issue in Italy and who is behind the movement to usher in Italian football into the modern era is Juventus player Barbara Bonansea. She believes that the increase in viewership should correspond with the remuneration for female players; “If there’s more coverage of our games and more sponsors come in, then we deserve more, too.” It is common that the women’s teams which in most cases have better records than the men’s teams do not get rewarded in an equitable manner for their exploits on the field. Taking the issue to the African continent, Africa’s most successful women’s team, Super Falcons have also been vocal in the conversation around unequal payment systems. While participating in tournaments, the men's team receives $10,000 for a win and $5,000 for a draw while the Super Falcons can expect $3,000 and $1,500. The Super Falcons have demonstrated in protest of unpaid allowances. Forward, Desire Oparanozie called for equal pay noting that the teams were just as successful as the men’s; "We are the most successful female team in Africa, yet we have the largest disparities between men's and women's pay," Super Falcons have won 11 AFCON titles and the last three competitions. Progress is being made elsewhere in Nigeria, in Edo State, where the women and men’s teams are going to be paid the same after the authorities saw that paying women less was more of a gender issue than a performance issue. It’s a small win for women’s football in Nigeria and with time, this trend will catch on to the rest of the continent.

Jackie Groenen of the Netherlands kisses the trophy following the Final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 between Netherlands v Denmark at FC Twente Stadium on August 6, 2017 in Enschede, Netherlands.

(Aug. 5, 2017 - Source: Maja Hitij/Getty Images Europe)

 What will it really take to achieve equality?

To create a snapshot of the odds against female footballers we can take a look at the fact that Lionel Messi earns more in salaries that the professional women players in the top seven leagues combined. The gap is saddening and reveals a desperate need for change. This is possibly the start of a push back from players on the working conditions and it’s good and welcome progress the sport. As Megan Rapinoe puts it, a paradigm shift and a completely new way of looking at women’s football is necessary if the change is ever to come to the game. Equal pay might still be an ideal today but through the continued work of women in the sport, it could soon be a reality. To achieve equality, we are talking about having to look beyond just beyond revenues that women earn and start making headway on trying to invest in teams and marketing of the sport. The women’s game is a long way to go in terms of receiving as much investment and attention it needs.

Jada Whyman of Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Sam Kerr of Perth Glory speak on stage during the 2018/19 A-League Season Launch at Fox Studios on October 15, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

(Oct. 14, 2018 - Source: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images AsiaPac)

It’s a system-wide problem, even at the FIFA Women’s World Cup the players received less amount for an appearance fee and the tournament prize is only a fraction of the prize money awarded at the FIFA Men’s World Cup. The prize money for the 2019 FIFA World Cup was $30 million, twice the amount paid in the previous tournament. In 2018 FIFA prizes for the Men’s tournament went up to $400 million, a difference of more than ten times. FIFA has promised to invest half a billion dollars in Women’s game over the next few years. Progress is being made. For example, it increased the number of teams for the world cup to 32 from 24 as a way to boost women’s football and create space for talent. Although FIFA is not in charge of how prize money is distributed in each of the federations, there is room for regulations that allow female players to receive their fair share from the National federations.

Final thoughts

Currently, the male game is more popular and receives resoundingly more attention than the female game. Women’s football is more popular than it has ever been and as such, it is the appropriate time to iron out the issues in the game. Some countries that have reached positive agreements after giving equal pay at the national team level including New Zealand, the Netherlands proving that it is not so difficult to reach an equitable decision. These players are simply asking to be able to play the game as professionals just like in the men. It’s yet to be seen what will come out of the negotiations between the players and the authorities in Spain. The hope is that this strike can be added to the list of wins in women’s football.

Women’s FIFA World Cup: Group A, “The Group of Death”

We're nearing the start of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, which gets underway in France on June 7 and features 24 teams vying for the title. Hosts France get the competition under way with their opening group match against South Korea in Paris. The hosts are No. 4 in on world the rankings and will have the home crowd behind them, as they try to duplicate their fellow men’s side, Les Bleus’ title triumph in Russia last year and live up to high expectations in the pool that pundits, arguably, called as “Group of Death”, comprising of the hosts France, Norway, Korea Republic and Nigeria. Below we zoom into Group A of the women’s world cup and analyze each team’s chances of progressing to the next stage of the tournament.

France

As the hosts of the tournament, Les Bleues will be expected to pick up on the momentum left behind by the men's French team, with the host nation eyeing the highest honor in football by winning the tournament on home turf. The women’s team's best finish on the world stage was fourth place in the 2011 edition and they will be looking to up that in next month’s event.

The French team is one of the most talented teams in the world. The team boasts of a number of players that can rival the much fancied sides and bring the trophy home provided they (France) play their best football. Amongst these players are Wendie Renard and Dephine Cascarino. The former is considered to be one of the best defenders in the game (her rating as the top center back in FIFA 19 says a lot). Wendie is what Virgil Van Dijk is to Liverpool: reliable. She’s quick on her feet and unbeatable in the air, which has led to her prolific scoring rate (for a defender) at both the national team and club level.

Having won every trophy on offer with her club Olympique Lyon including the Champions League, the one trophy missing in Renard’s trophy cabinet is the World Cup gold, and that should be enough motivation for her to deliver her best showing for the French team. If Renard hits top gear, she could be vital in France’s quest to become the first nation to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup trophies at the same time. Another key player that is likely to make a big impact for France is upcoming attacking player Dephine Cascarino. The 22-year-old Lyon midfielder has impressed at club level for the past two seasons, bagging seven goals apiece for two successive seasons. While Cascarino is relatively inexperienced at a full national team level, with just 11 caps, she has 12 goals at youth World Cups, and looks to get a good chunk of playing time this summer.

Apart from these enterprising players, the experience of long-serving servant Eugenie Le Sommer cannot go unnoticed. The French forward has scored 74 goals in 159 national team appearances, including 11 World Cup goals. In front of their home crowd, coupled with the right mixture of established stars and promising young players, one could argue that this would be the right time for France to finally win a major tournament.

Norway

Norway has the most World Cup appearances in Group A, having qualified for all eight previous editions of the event. It is also the only team in the group that has won the cup, back in 1995.

Perhaps the key talking point of this Norwegian side is the absence of their star player Ada Hegerberg. Regarded as the world’s best female footballer, the 23-year old who is also the current Balon d'Or winner and three-time Champions League winner, quit the national team back in 2017, as protest for what she says is a lack of respect for female players in Norway. She has scored 38 goals in 66 caps for the national team. Norway coach Martin Sjogren said in February that the federation had "tried to solve" things between them and Hegerberg but "she decided not to play". Sjogren further added: "As a coach, you need to focus on the players who want to be a part of the team and Ada doesn't. We respect that and we have been working hard with the other players and they have been doing a great job."

With this in mind, Norway will be pinning their hopes on the current crop of players and in particular their captain Maren Majelde. The 29-year old has featured for the side for more than a decade. She’s the soul and mastermind of the team. Capable of playing in central defence, as a defensive midfielder or even as a playmaker, Marelde’s sheer vision, dead-ball skills and charisma are key assets for Norway leading up to the World Cup. Apart from Marelde, players like defender Maria Thorisdottir and forward Caroline Graham Hansen are also expected to play a pivotal role in Norway’s quest for glory.

South Korea

South Korea qualified for their second straight Women’s World Cup after finishing fifth at the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian cup. This will be South Korea’s third appearance in the world cup. They were eliminated in the group stages in 2003 and only made it as far as the round of 16 in 2015. The Koreans kick off their world cup campaign against hosts France on June 7, knowing very well that a win will boost their chances of coming out of the group stages.

On paper at least, the odds are on the women from Seoul to get knocked out in the group stages. The 14th ranked South Korea is the proverbial dark horse in Group A after a lackluster performance in tournaments leading to the World Cup, most recently the Asian Cup. Nonetheless, South Korea’s powerful weapon in France would be its defense, as it did not concede a single goal in all its matches in the 2018 Women’s Asian Cup. One game that may provide the team with a lifeline of qualifying to the next stages could be their second game where they face off against Nigeria. The Africans are ranked 38th in the world, 24 places below the Koreans. Being a tactical team, South Korea’s ability to keep the ball and wear down their opposition with a possession-based style of football, could be key to South Korea’s any realistic chances of progressing further to the knockout stages.

While the Korean team face an uphill task to qualify to the knockout stages, they can still have a couple of key players they can rely on. These include Chelsea’s playmaker Ji So-Yun, who is the biggest star in the team. Credited with 54 goals in 115 appearances, she’s easily the most prolific Korean player. The 29-year-old was named the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season, her debut season in England. Apart from Ji So-Yun, South Korea will also be banking their hopes on talented youngster, Son Hwa-Yeon to help the team. Overall, the odds are definitely stacked against the Koreans and they are easily deemed as the underdogs of this group. Nonetheless, all that will count for nothing as football has taught in the past that anything is possible and by virtue of that, one can count this South Korean side out at their own peril.

Nigeria

Nigeria booked the ticket to France by winning the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the ninth time. The Falcons will open their campaign against 1995 winners Norway on 8 June. The nine-time African champions will then play South Korea in Grenoble on 12 June before facing hosts France on 17 June in Rennes. The West Africans hold the record of being the only African nation to have qualified for every Women's World Cup since it began in 1991. However, they have failed to translate their continental dominance on the world stage, with their best showing coming only during the USA world cup in 1999 where Nigeria reached the quarter-finals. Since then, they have failed to go beyond the group stages in the last four editions in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. Coach Thomas Dennerby will therefore be hoping that the team break its duck and advance further in the competition.

As expected in any team, Nigeria boasts of a number of players that will be crucial if the team’s hopes of winning the tournament are anything to go by. One of these players is FC Barcelona striker and three-time African footballer of the year, Asisat Oshoala. She exploded to the scene back in 2014, winning both the Adidas Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards as Nigeria reached the finals of the FIFA under-20 Women’s World cup. Voted the best African player in 2014, 2016 and 2017, the powerful and aggressive striker is pivotal to the Super Falcons’ attacking potent/arsenal.

Apart from Oshoala, the leadership experience of team captain Onome Ebi will prove crucial to Nigeria’s push for the coveted trophy. Nigeria’s 2018 player of the year, Ebi, was an important figure as Nigeria recorded a title-winning success at the 2018 African Women's Cup of Nations in Ghana. All in all, the Super Falcons’ ninth title win in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is enough proof that Nigeria is a threat to the hosts.

Both Norway and Nigeria are among the select band of teams never to have missed a single FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Norwegians have played a total of 35 matches in the competition, and the Nigerians 22. In contrast, France have only 14 matches to their name and Korea Republic a mere 7. Whether the experience (or lack thereof) will be a difference maker remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, Group A certainly has all the sparks and recipes to be an electrifying group!

The group winners and runners up are guaranteed round of 16 berth, whereas the third placed team will only progress if it happens to be one of the four best third placed teams in the tournament.