As the debate for equal pay for both male and female athletes continues to rage on across the world, Nigeria’s minister of Sports, Sunday Dare has said that his administration will work to ensure that females in sports will start earning as their male counterparts.
While speaking, Dare said “when it comes to individual athletes, I’m afraid I don’t have the facts right now, but it is also a function of the platform which you’re competing (FIFA, FIBA, FIVB World Athletics). In the international championships.
“I don’t expect there would be differentials in the remunerations. Back home, we need to know whether they get equal pay. If it is not, I will commit to making sure that when it comes to remunerations, when it comes to payments, considerations and opportunities for training that both the female and males get to be on equal queue.”
Equal pay for male and female footballers have been agreed in countries like Australia, Finland and Norway. Players in England, the U.S.A and other countries have continued to fight for equal pay, with American star Megan Rapinoe lending her voice to the cause.
At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the World’s Governing Body awarded a total of 400 million dollars at the men’s tourney while the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France saw FIFA awarding a total prize money of 30 million dollars to the women’s tourney.
For preparation, men’s team got 1.5 million dollars for the 2018 World Cup while the women’s team got a little over $800,000 to prepare for the 2019 World Cup.
Godwin N.
