Players on the Northern Ireland senior women's team will now receive the same pay for international matches as their male equivalents after the Irish FA reached a landmark agreement announced Friday (Sept. 29).
The deal, which is effective immediately, comes after months of "positive dialogue" with the PFA NI (Players' Football Association in Northern Ireland) and senior players, according to Irish FA Director of Women's Football Angela Platt.
"Equality is the cornerstone of everything we do at the Irish FA," said Platt. "This is a transformative moment for football in this country and demonstrates that we are continuing to invest in the women's and girls' game."
Another huge step in our mission to drive the womens game forward in Northern Ireland both for current players and future generations
Some key people / players have been instrumental in making this happen, refusing to settle for anything less than equality 👏🏼 https://t.co/pl3sLzcXhz— Caragh Hamilton (@hamilton_caragh) September 29, 2023
Midfielder Caragh Hamilton welcomed the agreement as "another huge step in our mission to drive the women's game forward in Northern Ireland both for current players and future generations," on social media.
A full-time set-up was only introduced in January of last year for the women's team after they qualified for Euro 2022, their first major tournament, and it was only in February of this year that women could register as professional players in Northern Ireland for the first time.
The move places Northern Ireland alongside England, Wales, and Ireland, all of whom have reached similar deals in the past few years.
Scotland captain Rachel Corsie withdrew a case against the Scottish FA over inequality earlier this month after an understanding was reached, though the details were not released to the public.
Irish FA Chief Executive Patrick Nelson said of the agreement that "We have seen this special team capture the imagination of fans across Northern Ireland and unearth a whole new set of fans. Our job as a governing body is to keep that momentum going and this agreement demonstrates our dedication to doing that."
"Commitments to equality only have meaning if they are acted upon. Thank you to Angela for leading us to this historic settlement."
Former Northern Ireland international Helen McKenna, now with the PFA NI, said "This is a huge step forward, not just for this current group of players who have earned this, but for future generations who can aspire to be on an equal playing field."
"We are immensely proud at the PFA NI to have helped deliver this agreement in partnership with the Irish FA."
Northern Ireland plays Hungary in the Nations League on Oct. 27. The Republic of Ireland defeated both teams earlier this week.
