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Norway becomes first national football program to guarantee equal pay for both men’s and women’s teams

By Derek Helling

SARPSBORG, NORWAY - SEPTEMBER 19: Caroline Graham Hansen of Norway during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier between Norway and Slovakia at Sarpsborg Stadion on September 19, 2017 in Sarpsborg, . (Photo by Trond Tandberg/Getty Images)
SARPSBORG, NORWAY - SEPTEMBER 19: Caroline Graham Hansen of Norway during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier between Norway and Slovakia at Sarpsborg Stadion on September 19, 2017 in Sarpsborg, . (Photo by Trond Tandberg/Getty Images) /
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Funding for the renumeration pots for both the men’s and women’s national teams in Norway will be the same going forward.

As the issue of pay for women’s national football teams is significant around the world, Norway’s football association has taken strong action to address the issue before it becomes a problem. The obvious winner is the women’s team in Norway, but everyone could benefit from situation.

According to Reuters, the men’s national team has agreed to divert 550,000 kroner (nearly $69,000 United States dollars) to the coffers for the women’s team. In conjunction with other changes by the national team’s administration, that will almost double the renumeration pot for the women’s team from 3.1 million kroner to 6 million kroner (about $750,000 USD).

This move comes at a time when labor unrest among women who play for national teams around the world is at an all-time high. Denmark recently canceled a friendly match against Holland because the women refused to take the pitch as part of their protest of unequal pay.

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Additionally, several members of the Brazilian national team recently retired and penned an open letter criticizing their federation for the same reason. Members of the Irish national team carried out a strike after they were told to change out of their kits during a flight because the kits had to be reused by younger players.

In the United States, the issue has been raised not only on social media and at the bargaining table, but in federal court and Congress as well.

Not only does Norway avoid having their country’s name added to this list by brokering this deal, but it also could give itself a competitive edge. Members of the Norwegian women’s team can now spend less energy and time working outside jobs to pay their bills and advocating for their sport.

The increased resources, and resulting relief of stress along with boost in contentment with their situation, could lead to improved results on the pitch. If the Norwegian women’s team starts piling up the Ws, that could provide a financial return on the association’s investment.

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Like almost anything else in human society, being the premier women’s football team in the world takes money. The Norwegian Football Association has dedicated more of that resource toward its women. That could make Norway not only a leader in gender equality, but on the pitch as well.