THERE is no motivation the national women’s team players will need greater than the sight of the figures the world football governing body, FIFA, has released concerning the perks that each player will receive at the Australia/New Zealand 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Playing three group games or simply warming the bench by virtue of being a member of any of the 32 countries that have qualified for the tournament to be held from July 20 to August 20 will see each player earn US$30, 000.
The amount increases depending on how far the team goes in the competition that will see the World champion players earn pocket US$270, 000.
Now this is the boost that women’s football needs to grow especially since there have been cries among the women folk on the differences in the pay gap with the men.
It is worth noting that historically, participation in sports has been discriminatory with men always favoured over women as sport has been considered to be an ‘inappropriate’ field for our lady folk.
But even though women’s participation in sports has grown over the years, there are still some underlying gender biases that need to be overcome in that space.
One such aspect has been the wage gap which is one of the most overt areas of prejudice as women remain far behind men when it comes to financial rewards in sports.
One argument that has been advanced is the generation of revenue to justify the pay gap between men and women in sport. The argument is that revenue generated in male sports is higher than that comes from women’s sport.
But what FIFA has done is a big step towards ensuring that women have equal pay with men and especially that women’s football continues to grow and make significant strides.
This development will undoubtedly make the game more professional in countries where women football is still taken as an amateur sport or a social event.
These monies being forked out truly demonstrate the attachment and recognition that FIFA has placed in women’s football.
Onus therefore is on our female players to work hard and make this sport their livelihood as government has over-emphasized on many occasions.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup presents a perfect opportunity for players not only to showcase their skills and attract big clubs but earn money one never thought of making.
The players should also use the World Cup as a perfect gateway to enhance their livelihoods in what is going to be a life-changing experience at the tournament.
The figures are not small if one is to compare with the peanuts that many players get at these local clubs, if any in most cases.
Players should strive to work hard and thrive at the World Cup because the incentives have been dangled in front of them and all they need to do is put in that extra effort and they will be laughing all the way to the bank.
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