Dem senator pushes FIFA to back pay equality

Sen. Patrick Leahy introduced a Senate resolution Monday calling on the soccer’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), to pay female athletes the same as their male counterparts.  

The Vermont Democrat’s resolution comes after the recent U.S. win in the Women’s World Cup. He compared the $2 million award to the $35 million that Germany received after winning the 2014 Men’s World Cup. 

{mosads}Leahy said that the women’s team, which he argued is a role model for men and women alike, “should be rewarded for their performances, for their grit, for their teamwork rather than devalued for their gender.” 

The senator contrasted FIFA’s policy with the Wimbledon tennis tournament where men and women who win the tournament receive the same prize money. He added that the All England Club, which hosts the tennis tournament, “choose to be on the right side of history.” 

Leahy dismissed the notion that the revenue generated by the men’s World Cup versus the women’s Word Cup explained the difference in prize money, saying that revenue shouldn’t be a “means for discrimination.” 

The U.S. women’s team defeated Japan 5-2 in the final earlier this month.

“This thrilling victory was the most widely viewed women’s soccer game in our nation’s history,” Leahy added.

“Anybody walking by the road by our farmhouse the night of our event, we had our windows open, they would have heard Marcelle and I just screaming with joy at this victory,” he said about watching the game with his wife.