Last week the U.S. Women’s Soccer team settled their six year legal battle with the United States Soccer Association for equal pay. The fight was led in part by team stars Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Carli Lloyd, along with 25 of their teammates. This issue has long raged in Women’s sports and finally, due to their perseverance and success on the field, the team won this fight to be paid the same as their male counterparts on the Men’s U.S. Soccer team.
The U.S. Soccer Association agreed to a $24 million dollar settlement, most of which is back pay, which acknowledges the unequal treatment of the Women’s team. They also agreed to equalize pay between the Men’s and Women’s teams in all competitions.
While this a great win for the Women’s Soccer team, it is only a start in equalizing pay in Women’s sports. It does set a good precedent for other sports and associations to build on. There is still a long way to go in equalizing pay, and exposure in Women’s athletics, and in society in general.