GENDER INEQUITY IN WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL

SPORTS By: Carissa Brown

What is a professional athlete

A professional athlete is someone who plays a sport in front of an audience and earns a salary from doing so.

What is the disparity in pay?

Men’s soccer league quarterfinalist were paid $200,000 each. Women’s soccer league quarterfinalist were paid $25,000 each.

The NBA salary cap is $60 million while the WNBA salary cap is $878,000

What are some mainstream explanations for the disparity between male and female salaries?

Women receive less media coverage. Discrepancy in opportunities for paid

appearances, summer camps, and public outings.

National Voices working for equitable pay

Brandi Chastain Women’s Sports Foundation

Government intervention

Title XI Legislation was made to make sure women were paid fairly in comparison to their male counterparts.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 provides, "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal assistance"

Court Decisions

Tyler vs. Howard University women's coach sued the university for paying her a salary that was much lower than the salary paid to the men's coach. The court found with the coach and she was awarded damages equal to the difference in the salaries.

Pitts v. Oklahoma In the Pitts case the court did not find that the university had violated the Title IX Amendment, nor the Equal Pay Act.

Barriers to closing the gap

Attendance at sporting events More national media coverage More sponsorship activities.

Areas where improvement has taken place

ESPN has now agreed to pay female participants in the X Games an equal salary to the men.