U.S. Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe: Clinton Will Work for Fair Pay
Members of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team say they want fair pay, that’s why they have reportedly threatened to boycott the Olympics and also why midfielder Megan Rapinoe is speaking at Hillary Clinton’s Glassdoor Roundtable in New York City.
“We want to bring light to this issue not only for us and for the inequality that we face, but just as a paradigm shift for women’s football, women’s sports and ultimately women in general,” she told the FOX Business Network’s Adam Shapiro.
Even though the women raked in $20 million more than the U.S. men’s team during the World Cup, the alleged pay gap between men and women is said to have been a result of better contract negotiations.
“There’s going to be years where we generate more revenue than they did, as in the last year, and there’s going to be years when they generate more revenue than we do and that’s OK. In terms of negotiations -- it’s a little difficult when you’re negotiating from an unfair playing field,” she said.
Comparatively, in the 1990’s women’s soccer gained popularity with Mia Hamm leading the U.S Women’s team to numerous victories, including the first World Cup in China and Olympic Gold in 1996.
Rapinoe says even after twenty years in “a man’s world,” Hillary Clinton has what it takes to change the mentality on pay inequality.
“To be a woman in this man’s world of politics and to be able to fight her way to the top -- I think that’s one of the issues she’s bringing with her,” she said.