Women continue the fight for pay equality: from the soccer field to the porn set

As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we are reminded of the work that still needs to be done regarding pay equality and the gender wage gap. It’s 2023 and women are still fighting to be paid what they deserve across all sectors. One industry that sees a massive gender wage gap is sports. Between contract salaries, prize funds, to endorsement opportunities and sponsorships, female athletes are earning millions less than their male counterparts.

Last month, the Canadian Soccer Players’ Association (CSPA) took to social media to announce they were taking job action (strike) over significant budget cuts, lack of support, and unequal pay. The Canada Women’s National Team had been negotiating with Canada Soccer for more than a year and are now "being told to prepare to perform at a world-class level without the same level of support that was received by the Men's National Team in 2022." The strike itself was short-lived as the next day, the CSPA said they would resume training as they “cannot affordthe risks that personal action against us by Canada Soccer will create."

However, the Canadian Women’s Soccer team is still not backing down. They are protesting by wearing purple, a colour that has historically been associated with efforts to achieve gender equality, inside-out jerseys, and unbranded gear. They have also received support from the Canadian Men’s National Team and the USA Women’s National Team, who fought for and one pay parity within their own league just last year signing an agreement to run through 2028 that sets a standard for equal pay through “identical economic terms."

This is just one facet of the ongoing fight for equal pay. We must acknowledge that there also exists a significant pay gap between white women and women of colour. Even in the adult entertainment industry, where women typically earn more than their male counterparts, women of colour are disproportionately paid less.

An issue that is close to Bellesa’s heart is Ethical Porn, which strives to honor consent, treat performers with respect, and pay everyone fairly. Thankfully, there is a growing number of content outlets that are holding themselves accountable to create and highlight content that is produced with consenting people of all shapes, colours and sizes, who are paid fairly.

As the adult entertainment industry makes further strides toward equal pay between women, we are hopeful that it can serve as an example and pay equity continues across other industries as well. Closing the gender pay gap is essential, but it must include all women. As Marsha P. Johnson famously said, “You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights”. As women, we don’t truly have pay parity until we all have pay parity.

On this International Women’s Day, we stand with all women fighting for equal pay and encourage the continuation of #EmbraceEquity even after the month of March.