Unfortunately gender equality is a battle that has yet to be
won but strides are being taken all the time. In order for the world to realize
that there is a problem, the issue needs to be brought into the light. The
Think Progress article, “Top Women’s Soccer Players File Gender Discrimination
Lawsuit against FIFA” is an example of how gender discrimination issues are
becoming known.
Abby Wambach
and Alex Morgan, two American soccer players, take action against FIFA by suing
them for their inadequate turf decision for the Women’s World Cup. The world
cup will be held in Canada in 2015 and was originally scheduled to be played on
artificial turf. The women argue that artificial turf is dangerous while making
the point that the men’s league would never be allowed to play on artificial
turf. Wambach and Morgan say that this decision is “inherently discriminatory”
and violates Canadian human rights laws. They share that “it changes the way
the game is played, poses “unique and serious risks of injury,” and requires
them to play on a “second-class surface.”
If the
men’s league doesn’t allow their players to play on artificial turf, why would
it be okay for women to? Women’s athleticism is not terribly far off from the
men’s so what is the difference? This would be a little more excusable if FIFA
had taken Wambach and Morgan seriously when they originally threatened a
lawsuit. That even pushes the issue to a further extent because of the lack of
intimidation that the association apparently felt about the women’s claims.
Wanting to ensure the safety of their team as well as themselves is something
that FIFA should probably start following as well.
To learn more about this issue click on the link below:
I had never heard about this before, which may be partially because I don't follow any sports besides baseball on a regular basis, but I find this really unacceptable. If what they were saying is true in that men's teams would never be made to play on artificial turf, then I can't imagine there could be a very good excuse as to why they were trying to make the women's teams play on artificial turf that has the potential to cause them injuries. I think that Wambach and Morgan are completely justified in their decision to sue.
ReplyDelete--Melissa Condon