U.S. women's soccer team get $1 million dollars from women's apparel company amid equal pay fight

Record ID: 1629175

  • Title: U.S. women's soccer team get $1 million dollars from women's apparel company amid equal pay fight
  • Date: 28th July 2021
  • Summary: BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 25, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) TITLE NINE FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE MISSY PARK, SAYING: "A million dollars is the biggest check we have ever written in our company history." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) TITLE NINE FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE MISSY PARK Saying "We're based on the west coast, but we have 18 retail stores. We're primarily a website and e-commerce play. We sell women's athletic and outdoor apparel but kind of our not-so-secret mission is to support women as we own and risk and lead in every aspect of our lives. And that's sort of where that sort of braids together with the women's national team. What better group of women to support than those women who are playing for a gold medal right now?"
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2021 18:13
  • Keywords: Title IX Tokyo Olympics USWNT equal pay
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK; BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES / REIMS, FRANCE
  • City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK; BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES / REIMS, FRANCE
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA002ENRAUKF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES
    The U.S. women's national soccer team (USWNT) have been handed $1 million dollars from a small California-based athletic apparel company so they can get a taste of being rewarded like their male counterparts as they fight for equal pay.
    After watching the recently-released "LFG" documentary that chronicles the USWNT's battle for equal pay, Title Nine founder and Chief Executive Missy Park was so "ticked off" she decided to write the biggest cheque in her company's 32-year history.
    Over a five-year period since 2016, the players have been paid $64 million dollars less than they would have been paid under the men's compensation structure, Title Nine said in a news release.
    The USWNT sued U.S. soccer's governing body in 2019 over allegations of gender discrimination in compensation and nearly every other aspect of their playing conditions.
    Months later they won a fourth World Cup as fans chanted "equal pay" during the final.
    The lawsuit, which sought $66 million dollars in damages under the Equal Pay Act, was dismissed but the USWNT have since appealed.
    Park, who named her company after Title IX, the landmark 1972 U.S. law that lifted barriers to girls and women in education and school sports, said the money would go to the 22 players on the team competing at the Tokyo Olympics.
    By Park's calculations, the money will put the USWNT on the same pay scale as the men's national team -- who they have vastly outperformed -- for a period of six games.
    Park said Title Nine will also match all contributions up to an additional $250,000 made through the "Kick In for Equal Pay http://www.kickinforequalpay.com " initiative that will transfer donations to a fund managed by the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Players Association (USWNTPA).
    "We looked at a lot of the numbers ... and we came to this figure. That's a lot of dough. It's a lot of dough for a small company like ours," said Park, who played basketball at Yale University and was an early beneficiary of Title IX.
    Park, whose company has 19 retail stores across 10 states, said she told the USWNTPA that independently-owned Title Nine does not want anything in exchange for the money.
    USWNTPA Executive Director Becca Roux said the team were humbled by Title Nine's contribution, which is the largest the players association has ever received to support the players' fight for equal pay.
    "Brands have significant power to impact the public dialogue on this important issue and we applaud Title Nine for stepping up and leading the effort to support the players and women in every industry," said Roux.
    (Production: Peter Bullock)
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