What women want
This article originally appeared on www.fifpro.org
To help mark Equal Pay Day (April 12, 2016), FIFPro today has released a series of video interviews with female players (see below for links) that go beyond the financial aspect and shine a light on the general inequalities in women's football.
From tackling a flawed international match calendar, to having a fair and proportionate share of revenue generated by the game, leading players are speaking up and turning to FIFPro for help.
Brazilian great Marta, a five-time World Player of the Year, said the clash between club committments and playing for the national team is a sign that women's football is not managed well enough.
"Normally the national team calender is compatible with the clubs in men's football and there's no problem. Why not do the same with women's football? It's a big problem," Marta told FIFPro from her club base in Sweden.
"It's always happening to Brazil; you can't play in a competition for the national team because you have to play club games."
"This has to be discussed with FIFA and the clubs, so that the calendar fits in with international competitions and that we don't lose out."
Paris Saint-Germain and Germany forward Anja Mittag, recently named to FIFPro's inaugural Women's World XI, questioned UEFA's revenue sharing model and why clubs competing in the European Champions League are left to suffer.
"It must also be profitable for the clubs, as for us these are the biggest matches that we will be playing. Therefore, I think we should receive a little more income from the game."
"It’s not a great feeling to know we only receive a tiny percentage of all the money. We still have a long way to go and we must fight for that. We all need to be ready to engage."
"I believe many players still don’t know what possibilities exist. Therefore I think it is great that we have FIFPro on our side, to strengthen our team."
Icelandic international Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir expressed her frustration that "they don't see us as equals" in reference to FIFA's decision to stage the 2015 World Cup in Canada on artifical turf.
Ali Riley told FIFPro support is needed for many women who are quitting football because they want to start a family and the New Zealand international insisted, "I don't think that should be a choice they have to make." German star Celia Sasic recently retired from football, while in her prime, to start a family.
Players worldwide are making themselves heard on a variety of issues. In the United States, five members of the world champion US Women's National Team filed a wage discrimination claim against their own federation, US Soccer. Carli Lloyd explains why she is fighting for equal pay in this opinion piece for the New York Times.