U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Demands Equal Pay Amongst Men

In societies throughout the world, men and women are not seen as equals. This trend can be seen everywhere, and most recently it has been exhibited by the U.S women’s national soccer team. Coming off of their 2015 World Cup victory, the women’s team has voiced their displeasure with the issue of equal pay. According to ESPN.com, five members of the team, including stars Hope Solo and Carli Lloyd, have filed a wage-discrimination action against the U.S. Soccer Federation.

We must notice how far we’ve come (or backtracked) on the critical issue of equality? According to ESPN, the U.S. women’s team would earn over $100,000 less than the men in friendly matches alone. On top of that, with each loss, the men’s team receives $100,000 in compensation whereas the women’s team is left with nothing.

It is now the time to step up and demand equality. The U.S. women’s soccer team has done just that by filing their wage-discrimination action, but the work can’t stop there. It will take more than just global soccer icons to create change. Everyone, men and women alike, can come together and take on this issue of inequality. Advocates from presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to movie star Emma Watson have been constantly calling for equality among the sexes, in the home, the workplace, and society as a whole.

It is easy to live life without noticing things that don’t directly affect you. Personally, I saw a segment on the fight from the women’s team on SportsCenter and noticed how much effort is placed into securing a right that should have been guaranteed in the first place.