Equality is a Human Right
“The top-earning male athlete is paid more than the top 10 highest-paid female athletes combined. Women in sports do the exact same job; however, they are not paid fairly. This is a global issue I am interested in and passionate about.
Female athletes work just as hard as male athletes. They train for the same amount of time but get paid less. This is due in part to the fact that female sports attract a smaller audience; therefore, they have fewer sponsors and less media coverage. Since sport is generally considered a ‘male activity’, female sports teams aren’t taken seriously. People underestimate the talent of female athletes because of their physical appearance and body structure, but women offer the same amount of athleticism, power, and strength to their sport. The USA female soccer team has won 4 Olympic Gold Medals and 3 World Cups; the men’s team has been unsuccessful in both. Clearly, there is a high athletic ability in female players. As far as strength, in recent years, the Internet has been full of images of female football players with bloody knees, continuing to play, alongside pictures of male players over-exaggerating the smallest collision. Female MMA fighters often have more exciting and physically demanding fights than those of their male colleagues. Female athletes deserve to be paid equally.
One possible solution to this issue would be educating people about this gender bias and exposing them to the reality of female athletic talent. The more exposure people have to female sports, the more they will watch and realise that female athletes are just as talented as male athletes. Once the fanbase grows, that will lead to more media coverage and sponsorship, which should eventually lead to equal pay. This is something I hope will one day be a reality.”
Kayla Irene Frank is a Grade 9 student at West Yas Academy, Aldar Academies.