FIFA Women’s World Cup lessons: Gender pay parity strengthens integrity

The most challenging threat to competitive sport is the undermining of the uncertainty of outcome(s) through match-fixing, particularly gambling-related fixing. As the global sports betting market grows, the risk of fixing on gambling products offered through under-regulated, unregulated, and illegal markets rises. Women’s sport, especially football, was traditionally not considered high risk due to the limited gambling options available but is now increasingly offered to punters globally. This rapid expansion is not being met with equal resolve to create ethical cultures to avoid match-fixing. One basic risk mitigation strategy to reduce temptation by players, staff, and officials (including referees) is to pay fairly. Instead, the most recent FIFA Women’s World Cup (FWWC) saw numerous national teams threatening boycotts, or other industrial action, related to pay. With the stroke of a pen, national Member Federations and Clubs could achieve pay parity for all parts of the game. FIFA could set the tone from the top by equalising the prize pools (including at FIFA World Cups) and requiring financial transparency from their Member Federations to ensure that payments made are equally shared between all programmes – and demand that players actually receive their entitlements. These simple strategies could go a long way in both reducing the risk of fixing and changing lives.