New Zealand Kicks Out Pay Disparity Among Male, Female Footballers

The past couple of years have seen a continuous struggle in addressing pay disparity through a number of campaigns and initiatives. New Zealand has taken a progressive step in achieving equal pay when it comes to the sporting world. New Zealand Football and the New Zealand Professional Footballers' Association (NZPFA) have come to an agreement that the international female and male footballers of the country will be paid equally, reported Mashable India.

To receive equal prize money and travel benefits

As per the agreement, women will not only receive equal prize money, but also equal rights for image use. Significantly, they will be provided with the same travel benefits as their male counterparts. Consequently, female players will be flown by business class when they represent the country just as the male players. It's an important benefit for players like captain Ali Riley, who plays for Swedish club FC Rosengård.

New Zealand Football chief executive, Andy Martin, said: "The Football Ferns, who are ranked inside the top 20 in the world, are the flagship of women's football in New Zealand. They are role models for the 30,000 female players in our country."

According to a report, Brazil's Neymar, one of the highest paid footballers, will earn $44.6 million in the 2017-18 season. Shockingly, this is the equivalent salary of 1,693 female players across seven top leagues. The Sporting Intelligence report highlighted that for each professional women's footballer, there are 106 men, who make a full-time living from the sport.

Football associations working towards equal pay

In December 2017, Norway’s footballers signed an equal-pay agreement. As per the agreement, all international senior male and female players will be equally paid. Norway's male players agreed to take a wage cut to help achieve parity.

In January 2018, the Football Association announced several initiatives to improve their diversity, inclusion and culture. The number of men applying for jobs at the FA is significantly higher than women. Considering this, the FA worked to improve early stages of recruitment to increase the possibility of a more balanced workforce.

Read: Equal Pay for Equal Work: The Big Gaps In India

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Bhawana is an intern with SheThePeople.tv