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Sport – especially sporting events with international recognition – has always been seen as a male-dominated field, where men athletes not only receive praise but also higher monetary compensation. Thankfully, this is changing as more and more countries like India have begun to acknowledge the disparity between men and women’s salaries in sports and are acting to correct it.
Equal Pay Policy in Indian Cricket
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently announced that its centrally-contracted men and women players will now be paid the same fees for their matches. A significant move, it acknowledges an inequality that has persisted for far too long. Prior to this change, women players were being paid Rs 1 lakh for a white-ball match and Rs 4 lakh for a Test match, but they will now receive Rs 15 lakh and Rs 6 lakh per Test and One-Day International match respectively. However, the annual retainership remains the same, differentiating between the various grades: Rs 50 lakh for Grade A, Rs 30 lakh for Grade B, and Rs 10 lakh for Grade C.
The Global Trend Towards Equal Pay in Sports
India isn’t the only nation advocating for equal pay in sports. Last year New Zealand Cricket made a similar agreement with its local players’ association, allowing female cricketers to earn as much as their male counterparts. This agreement was inspired by the United States women’s national football team that won their six-year-long battle for equal compensation four months prior. Additionally, all four major tennis tournaments now offer their male and female players equal prize money, a step towards true equality in global sports.
Challenges to Achieving Gender Pay Parity in Sports
While the movement towards equal pay in sports is growing, there are still numerous challenges to overcome. One common argument against equal pay is that male players generate higher returns than their female counterparts. This outlook is largely based on societal and cultural perceptions of sports as being male-dominated, a viewpoint that fails to acknowledge the potential entertainment value of women’s sport.
Another challenge surrounds perceptions of performance difference between genders. There is a belief that men, because they are physically stronger, should be paid more. Some have gone so far as to suggest that women play fewer sets in professional tennis because of perceived physical weaknesses, despite female athletes expressing their willingness and capability to play five sets.
Representation is also a major issue – there is a lack of female presence in sports governance structures, resulting in a persistent wage gap across the industry. Although some improvement has been noted recently, there’s still a long way to go.
Global Gender Gap Index of 2022
The Global Gender Gap Index is an important tool that evaluates countries on their progress towards achieving gender parity. The index considers four key dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
India’s overall score has improved from 0.625 (in 2021) to 0.629, moving it up five places to be ranked 135 out of 146 countries. However, when it comes to Economic Participation and Opportunity, India still lags behind, ranking at 143 out of 146.
Government Initiatives to Reduce Gender Gap in India
The Indian government has recognized the need for gender equality and has launched several initiatives to address the gap. In terms of economic participation and health, initiatives such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna, and Female Entrepreneurship have been rolled out. For political representation, the government has reserved 33% of seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions for women, and conducts regular capacity building for elected women representatives to ensure their effective participation in governance.
