The US women’s national soccer teams’ settlement is just the beginning

 @happygirl

In March of 2019, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s 28 members and part of there organization filed a lawsuit against the discrimination in compensation against this womens sports team. Fast forward almost 4 years to February of 2022 and the class action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation has finally been settled. A total of $24 million dollars will be going towards the equal pay for an award winning soccer team, but it is just the beginning. After filing the lawsuit, in May of 2020, a California judge dismissed the equal pay lawsuit and sided with the U.S. Soccer Federation’s by stating how women had actually been compensated more than their male counterparts. This was soon to be found not true, and an appeal was filed. Since that moment, the U.S. Women’s soccer team has supporters all over the world fighting for them. It was more than just a battle for equal pay, it was a battle for all women all over the world. These women standing up and fighting for what is fair empowers so many young viewers to believe in themselves. 

For the $24 million that was awarded to the U.S .Womens National Soccer Team for the lawsuit, they are going to use this money to benefit for what they deserve to have. $2 million will be used to go towards a fund for retired women’s soccer players and growing the sport for women. While the rest of the money, $22 million will be split amongst several players of the USWNT. These players being awarded with this money that they deserve is a huge accomplishment for themselves and the future of women’s sports teams. 

The big question that is being brought up is: How is it possible that the Women’s National Soccer team is the best in the world, and still cannot get equal pay? If this is the case for a massive organization that is known all over the world, then how much worse does it get in smaller organizations?  This 4-5 year long battle for the Women’s soccer team and the discrimination against the gender can be terrifying and empowering at the same time. It can be terrifying that it took this long, with such powerful people to just have equal pay. While on the other hand it is so empowering how these women fought for what they believe in and finally achieved what they do  deserve. 

What does it mean for an average woman who is fighting their own battle with this? It means to keep fighting. Standing up for what is equal and fair is something that should never go unnoticed. Being able to stand up, even when there is no one supporting you if so powerful, and there are so many women dealing with this every single day. These issues, such as the USWNST fight for equal pay for their players goes so much farther than the money involved. It is a fight for equality between genders. 

This is not the end for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, it is just the beginning. Young women all over the world followed this story with hope that in the end justice would come through, this brought so much power to women in all different kinds of sports and professions because the fight for equal pay is constantly happening and needs to be addressed more often. One less battle to be fought, but still there are so many to overcome. This is the fight for women all over the world.