VCE English Issues: Equal pay: women's sport

The Australian government’s gender equality body and women’s rights advocates are incensed at the remuneration the AFL is offering its female players, compared to that of their male counterparts.

Kevin Netto, Curtin University School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science research director, said paying women more to play sport was not the answer to levelling the playing field.
He echoed Ms Alberti's words, saying investing in women's sport is key to improving the quality of the game.

Finally, after over a century, women were going to get a chance to be professional footballers. But the joy was short-lived: today we found out the majority of players would be paid just $5,000 for their 8-week season. Unlike the men's players, they will not be provided with private health insurance.

Every year when Equal Pay Day rolls around, we see the same tired arguments trotted out in a bid to discredit the idea that there is a legitimate pay gap between men and women.

A $5000 average wage for footballers in the AFL's women's league is a reasonable start for the pioneers soon to embark on what – officially – will be a five-month commitment, according to Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.

Geelong captain Joel Selwood has defended the initial salaries for players in the AFL women's league, arguing that payment for the game's elite female players "has to start somewhere".

Payne said last year that there were those in her industry who "think women aren't strong enough, but we can beat the world". Of course she's right, but a year on, the battle for equality among jockeys still has a long way to go and we owe her a debt for having the courage and the ethics to speak out.