Target: Attorneys of Winston & Strawn LLP
Goal: Support successful gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer Federation.
The U.S. women’s soccer team became ambassadors for every woman who has ever been short-changed for doing equal or better work than their male counterparts. This ForceChange petition brought attention to their quest for equality and financial compensation. Now, the results are in, and these women scored one of the biggest victories of their lives.
A legal battle with the U.S. Soccer Federation that began in 2016 resulted in a 24 million-dollar settlement for the women’s soccer team. The settlement includes back pay and a commitment that from now going forward, men and women players will be compensated equally. Previously, despite their far bigger winning record and international stature, the women’s team made only a quarter of what the men’s team earned.
This decision also sets a precedent because it marks the first time a group of female athletes has secured a win in a gender discrimination case. Sign the petition below to hail this important victory for gender equity and for the power of collective bargaining.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Winston & Strawn,
Athletes in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and other organizations have made needed and welcome strides in collective bargaining. Yet a major legal victory in the fight against gender discrimination for athletics remained elusive…until now. Thank you for your vital work in helping make this trailblazing moment possible.
This win gives working women across the country hope and initiative for achieving equal pay and equal treatment in every sector.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Jean-Daniel Francoeur
Women deserve to be paid every penny that their talents can secure for them in the marketplace of professional sport. That is only right and proper. They do not, however, deserve to be paid more than that merely because they are women.