Good practices regarding equality of pay & sponsorship

Women’s football has a complex and chequered history, largely reflecting societal norms and values regarding gender inequality and male hegemony. Women and girls were also talked about as being discouraged from participation. As well as the historical influence, gender equality, in terms of pay and sponsorship, is
complex, since it is dependent on an integrated mix of things like game attractiveness, visibility of role models, grassroots participation, media audience, profit
redistribution and professionalisation. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is huge inequality in terms of pay and sponsorship in the women’s game in comparison to the men’s

In France, at the elite level, teams such as Olympique Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain have some of the highest paid athletes (e.g., Amandine Henry and Kadidiatou Diana, respectively) and women footballers in France are reported to make an average salary of €48,000 per season. Primera Division players in Spain receive a minimum annual salary of €16,000 plus benefits

Pay can depend on how successful a team is. Such success can lead to an increase in money from sponsorship, television rights and gate takings.

• greater financial investment into elite women’s sport
• greater investment into governance
• existence of clear athlete pathways to success
• talent identification programmes
• support for careers
• the provision of high-quality facilities

all these factors can lead to success

In other partner countries, such as in Bulgaria, the women’s game is solely amateur, although there are some financial incentives for games won. Bulgarian footballers, therefore, may seek out contracts from other countries to pursue a career. In Poland, the situation is similar, although the Polish Football Association has recently set out a strategy to professionalise the women’s game

ENGLAND

Despite the gender pay inequalities, there are some good practices to take note of from partner countries. For instance, in England, men and women are given the same fee for international match appearances

SPAIN

The sponsorship by Iberdrola, the main electricity company in Spain, is another good example. Encouraged by the Spanish government, the aim is to
increase women’s sports participation and gender equality. Iberdrola pay €1.5 million per year to give its name to the League

UEFA

The UEFA Women’s Champions League financial distribution model has changed for the 2021/22 season. To mirror the Men’s Champions League, revenue is to be
redistributed to women’s football across Europe, to support entry into the UEFA Women’s Champions League from smaller nations. A solidarity payment (23%
of the total revenue) is being given to non-participating clubs.