February 22, (THEWILL) –Â On Tuesday, the United States women’s soccer team (USWNT) and US Soccer reached an agreement to settle their equal pay litigation.
The women will receive $22 million in back pay, plus an additional $2 million deposited into an account to support their post-career charity initiatives, according to a news release announcing the settlement. The latter fund allows each woman to receive up to $50,000.
In the future, the men’s and women’s teams will receive equal salary, according to the agreement.
For the past six years, the USWNT has been locked in a salary dispute with the sport’s regulatory body. Though it seemed to be an arduous legal endeavour, the women persevered and kept up the fight.
This settlement will spur women in other sports, especially Basketball, to engage the management of their sports into a similar arrangement that will provide a more equal and balanced payment structure for male and female athletes across the board.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
