Although the Canada women’s national soccer team’s strike lasted just two days, their message will resonate for much longer. With less than six months to go until the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, funding for both the women’s national and its associated youth programs has been cut.
These cutbacks come despite Canada Soccer seeing an increase in corporate sponsorships, especially since the women’s Olympic gold at the 2020 olympic games in Tokyo, and accelerated by the men’s appearance in the World Cup.
The women’s team went on strike on Feb. 10 to protest these cutbacks, as well as the fact that Canada Soccer has been secretive about how they are handling their finances and expenditures. However, just two days later they were forced to end the strike as they were threatened with legal action by Canada Soccer ahead of the SheBelieves Cup. The litigation costs as well as the potential for personal financial loss for many of the players was not something they were able to risk, so they were coerced back onto the pitch on Feb. 12 to continue training.
The complaint that Canada Soccer has not been transparent with their expenditures in the past has been a grievance brought up by both the men’s and women’s teams alike. The men’s team refused to play in a friendly match last summer in Vancouver because of their displeasure with the state of negotiations with Canada regarding compensation for the World Cup.
Where the men’s dispute was about their individual salaries and compensation, the current dispute regards Canada Soccer’s cutbacks to the women’s programs, and for equal support as was shown to the men’s team for Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Women’s team captain Christine Sinclair tweeted a picture of Canada Soccer’s Statement of Operations for 2021 that showed a disproportionate increase in funding for the men’s and women’s teams. From 2020 to 2021 the men’s funding increased from $3 million to $11 million, while the increase seen for the women’s team went from just $2.8 million to $5 million. Sinclair also noted that close to $2.5 million came from Own the Podium, rather than Canada Soccer.
The women’s team has been receiving a united front of support from players in other clubs. The Canada men’s national soccer team players association released a statement showing support for the women and expressing their continued disappointment in Canada Soccer. The statement appeals to soccer’s growth as a sport in Canada at a rate that hasn’t been seen before and says that Canada Soccer is putting that growth at risk. It also makes reference to the upcoming World Cup, saying “Canada Soccer is claiming it does not have the funds necessary to provide the Women’s National Team players the working conditions and games they need to prepare for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. That is outrageous and calls for an immediate and urgent response.” The statement concludes by calling for a change in leadership to one that will be transparent with finances.
The Canadian women’s national soccer team continued to play in the SheBelieves Cup, but under protest; training wearing their jerseys inside out, and wearing purple jerseys for their match. The United States Women’s National team also showed solidarity with Canada by coming together in the middle of the pitch for a show of support before their match on Feb. 16. The U.S. team also released a statement before the match that noted they were already on “the other side of the fight” but were still on the Canadian women’s side. This is referencing the fact that the United States’ women’s and men’s teams recently signed collective bargaining agreements to set a standard of equal pay that runs through 2028.
The negotiations are paused temporarily, but as soon as the Canadian women are at a place where they are able to negotiate without risking their own personal financial well-being, these discussions will continue.
