Matildas’ pay gap goal

Australia leads fight for women’s prizemoney hike

THE Matildas have upped the ante in their fight for improved Women’s World Cup prizemoney, launching a formal public campaign to pressure FIFA into bridging the $US370 million gender gap.

Frustrated at having been ignored despite international outcry from some of female football’s biggest names, Australia’s players’ union has warned the world governing body it would use legal means if necessary to extract what rightfully belonged to the national women’s team.

A new website under the slogan “Our Goal Is Now” will lead the charge, with players and fans encouraged to spread the word via the hashtags #OurGoalisNow and #WorldCupEquality.

Last October, Professional Footballers Australia joined multiple other player associations in writing to FIFA to seek consultation around an increase in the prize purse for the 2019 showpiece in France.

Regardless, the FIFA Council pressed on with its announcement to raise the pot to $30 million. While that represents a 100 per cent increase from the $15 million on offer at Canada 2015, the chasm has grown after the men’s pot rose to $400 million in 2018. The PFA is calling for a total purse of $336 million which, given the Women’s World Cup features eight fewer teams, would bring them in line with the men.

As it stands, the women’s kitty equates to 7.5 per cent of their male counterparts. And where France received $38 million for lifting the men’s 2018 trophy, the women’s 2019 winners will take home $4 million.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, the Matildas get 30 per cent of the prizemoney Football Federation Australia receives from FIFA, meaning that if they won the World Cup, the 23 players would split a pool of $1.2 million between them.

That equates to just over $52,000 per player, or about one-fourth of FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s monthly wage.