New Zealand women’s cricketers will be paid the same per match as male players for the first time, starting on August 1. This marks a historic milestone in the movement to close the gender pay gap in sports.
This historic agreement is part of a five-year long deal that has connected the men's and women’s leagues like never before.
This is the first time both the men’s and women’s cricket teams have been connected by a formal agreement.
Although this agreement provides equal pay per match, the male athletes are still likely to make more money due to a higher number of matches and training time.
According to The Guardian, the highest ranked White Ferns athlete can make a maximum of just over $163,000 a year, while the highest ranked Black Caps athlete can make a maximum of just over $523,000 a year.
Women’s domestic athletes can make a maximum of approximately $19,000 a year, while men’s domestic athletes can make a maximum of approximately $102,700 a year, according to The Guardian.
Despite the still significant gap in yearly income between men and women, this agreement marks the first time women’s cricket has stood to make the same pay as men’s cricket per match.
The US Women’s Soccer Association won a settlement on the basis of unequal pay earlier this year.
This new agreement will be upheld until 2028 and determines men and women will be paid $8000 just for being called to a camp, and a $10,000 bonus for winning, according to The New York Times.
Last year, the Football Association of Ireland made the move to provide equal salaries to men and women, according to Euronews. In this agreement the men’s team agreed to “reduce their international fees to contribute to the women’s team salaries.”
The female athletes now make €2000 per match as a result of the men’s team reducing their salaries from €2500 to €2000. The reduced €500 was put towards the women’s salary, according to the Irish Examiner.
The women’s salary was originally €500 per match.
Although these changes are setting goals in the right direction, the playing field is not level for women in sport yet.
