Viral French Football Ad and Matildas’ Call for Equality in Women’s World Cup
A viral French football advertisement is making a strong statement about gender equality, coinciding with the Australian women’s national team advocating for equal prizes in the Women’s World Cup. The ad, created by telecoms company Orange and the French national team, uses visual effects to highlight the skill and quality of the women’s game. Meanwhile, the Australian team released their own video criticizing FIFA’s failure to provide women with the same prize money as men. As the tournament approaches, pressure is mounting on both the governing body of the sport and spectators to address the pay gap and show equal respect to women players.
The Orange advertisement aims to challenge prevailing perceptions that the women’s game is less skillful and exciting than the men’s. By meticulously selecting technical moves from the French Women’s National Team and finding their exact replicas in men’s matches, the ad creates the illusion of a male highlights reel. Only at the end is it revealed that the viewers have been watching the women’s team all along. The ad seeks to dismantle the stereotypes and prejudices surrounding women’s sports, which have perpetuated the belief that they are inferior and therefore less deserving of investment and recognition.
Misogynistic attitudes among some fans have contributed to the perpetuation of these biases. A survey conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that openly misogynistic attitudes still prevail among male football fans, who view women’s sports as inferior and consider their coverage to be “positive discrimination” or “PC nonsense.” Simply increasing the visibility of women athletes is not enough to combat sexism and misogyny in sports. A gender revolution is needed to achieve equality and justice on and off the pitch.
The Australian Matildas squad, in their own video statement, highlights the challenges faced by their predecessors and the progress made in securing better working conditions. However, they emphasize that more needs to be done. While FIFA has committed to closing the pay gap and introduced a new payment model that guarantees remuneration for Women’s World Cup players, the Matildas call for equal prize money. They point out that FIFA offers women only a quarter of the prize money awarded to men for achieving the same results. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed the ambition to offer equal prize money at future World Cups, but the Australian players seek confirmation that this will indeed happen.
FIFA recently announced record prize money for winning teams and introduced payments for all participating athletes. While FIFA believes these payments will have a meaningful impact on the lives and careers of the players, it is important to note that the annual global salary of professional women footballers is approximately $14,000. Additionally, media rights offers for the Women’s World Cup have been significantly lower compared to the men’s tournament, which has drawn criticism from Infantino. The Matildas’ video highlights the difficulties faced by players trying to make a living in the sport and calls for support from fans to create opportunities for girls and women in football.
In conclusion, as the Women’s World Cup approaches, the French advertisement and the Australian team’s video both contribute to the growing demand for equal pay and respect for women players. These efforts aim to challenge biases and stereotypes while advocating for tangible changes in the sport to ensure gender equality and provide greater opportunities for women in football.
