The United States Womens National Team (USWNT) won their second consecutive World Cup title this past sunday, appearing on the world stage championship level for the fourth time in 2 decades. And while their World Cup run has been marred with controversies and lawsuits, it looks like they might have finally caught a break at home.
The returning champions are back on US soil today and celebrating like its 1999 at their honorary ticker tape parade in NYC this morning.
During the festivities New York governor Andrew Cuomo made a shocking announcement:
#BREAKING: I just signed new pay equity legislation at the #USWNTParade.
The women's soccer team plays the same game that the men’s soccer players play — only better. If anything, the men should get paid less.
Thank you @USWNT for helping lead this movement for change!
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 10, 2019 src
Back in March, before heading off to France on their ultimately successful bid to defend their world champion status, members of the US womens team, including superstars Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn, filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation.
The lawsuit alleged that the federation was guilt of discrimination by paying the women less than members of the men's national team "for substantially equal work and by denying them at least equal playing, training, and travel conditions; equal promotion of their games; equal support and development for their games; and other terms and conditions of employment equal to the MNT." src
The women get paid significantly less per game than the men, with the prize for winning being but a fraction of what the men get, despite having closed the gap in terms of revenue generated by ads, sponsors and viewership.
In May the US Soccer federation officially denied the allegations, claiming that "disparities were the product of business decisions rather than any efforts to discriminate." as well as pointing out that there are differences in collective bargaining agreements with which the two teams are subject to.
But today, the embattled and victorious womens team has won again! The Equity pay legislation signed today is a major triumph for women and sports! Congratulations #USWNT! Go out and party! You deserve it!
