With the Women's Football World Cup underway in France, and about to conclude this weekend, thought it was time to pull together some interesting facts and links about women's struggling path to glory in 'the beautiful game'.
Gender inequality in football is more entrenched than in politics, business, medicine and space exploration, according to a worldwide salary survey of male and female footballers. (But then, is it fair to pay people to play sport? That’s another question)
Latin American sides don’t fare so well as their male counterparts, in part due to greater sexism, neglect, and corruption in the football organisations of those countries. Read about the Argentinian women’s side road to Paris; and a fascinating Time article by Shireen Ahmed on how corruption and abuse stops women all around the world from participating fully in the sport. Ahmed is a writer, public speaker and activist focusing on Muslim women in sports, and the intersections of racism and misogyny in sport.
Rose Reilly played for Italy in the 1970s because her home country Scotland would not recognise female players – and thereby paved the way for other women footballers from that bonnie (and now fairer) land.
Meanwhile, closer to home – according to a Stuff rundown on equality – or lack thereof – in NZ sport Football NZ struck a landmark deal with their footballers when they granted the Football Ferns (women) and All Whites (men) equality in pay parity, prizemoney, equal rights for image use and travel. However, the lack of payment for both sides has seen this agreement labelled symbolic!
The previous NZ Football Ferns coach (he who shall not be named) resigned last year because of bullying behaviour and downplaying his players as almost destined to lose. Things have got a lot better in the NZ camp since then – I mean, they nearly beat the Dutch didn’t they!
More to come before the great US v Netherlands showdown on Monday morning (NZT).
Gender inequality in football is more entrenched than in politics, business, medicine and space exploration, according to a worldwide salary survey of male and female footballers. (But then, is it fair to pay people to play sport? That’s another question)
Latin American sides don’t fare so well as their male counterparts, in part due to greater sexism, neglect, and corruption in the football organisations of those countries. Read about the Argentinian women’s side road to Paris; and a fascinating Time article by Shireen Ahmed on how corruption and abuse stops women all around the world from participating fully in the sport. Ahmed is a writer, public speaker and activist focusing on Muslim women in sports, and the intersections of racism and misogyny in sport.
Rose Reilly played for Italy in the 1970s because her home country Scotland would not recognise female players – and thereby paved the way for other women footballers from that bonnie (and now fairer) land.
Meanwhile, closer to home – according to a Stuff rundown on equality – or lack thereof – in NZ sport Football NZ struck a landmark deal with their footballers when they granted the Football Ferns (women) and All Whites (men) equality in pay parity, prizemoney, equal rights for image use and travel. However, the lack of payment for both sides has seen this agreement labelled symbolic!
The previous NZ Football Ferns coach (he who shall not be named) resigned last year because of bullying behaviour and downplaying his players as almost destined to lose. Things have got a lot better in the NZ camp since then – I mean, they nearly beat the Dutch didn’t they!
More to come before the great US v Netherlands showdown on Monday morning (NZT).
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