Equal Pay for Woman Athletes

Forty percent of all sports participants are female athletes. However, they endured prejudice and criticism over the years. They do not deserve that. What men can do, women can also do.

Women have been struggling for equality throughout history, and these strides toward achieving gender equality cannot be discounted. Some people may not think much of this unequal attention, yet it can have unfavorable effects.

Women are not to be stereotyped; in fact, more and more women are participating in athletics on a regular basis and at a higher level than ever before. More and more females are competing at the club level, which is reflected in the top-tier successes.

However, men are stronger and have more muscle mass, which makes them better at sports. But rather than normalizing this, let us give women more opportunities to express themselves and demonstrate their compatibility with men.

Maintaining an environment where women and girls can participate in sports without facing discrimination is crucial. Regardless of gender, sports have various advantages for both men and women.

In our country, there is not just inequality in participation and opportunity for women athletes, but also on pay. In professional sports, men obviously make more money than women. Male athletes in basketball, soccer, golf, baseball, tennis and almost all sports earn anywhere from 15% to 100% more than our female athletes. Such a large wage gap between genders.

There are of course consequences of the gender pay gap. Lower pay makes it harder for women especially single women, to get ahead financially. Their lower income makes it difficult for them to save money for emergencies or retirement.

Most women athletes have less income to maintain their living standards during their retirement age than they did when they were still working.

It’s about time to narrow down the gender pay gap by giving equal compensation and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender.

Equal pay and equal opportunities must be given to all.

By law, men and women must get equal pay for doing “equal work”.

“Over here! Over here!” “Ma’am! Can we interview you?” “Let’s take a picture!” Everyone rushing, mobs hurdling, camera flashes shuttering. CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

Five decades ago. On a sunny morning of the 14th day of January, at the year of 1967, a beautiful baby girl was born. Little did the parents of this infant know, that the child they have given birth unto would be an important asset to our country, serving as a crown jewel and a notoriety to brag about.

Isn’t it remarkable? Oh! All the wonders sports can do. The transformation it brings, and the conversion it induces. Lives had been changed, and dreams had been relinquished.

In a field where we all flourish, and experience a crowning glory.

Learning from both a losing and a winning moment. How does it feel to be an icon? How does it feel to stand in a pedestal, holding a medal, and representing the country with pride?

Well, the baby girl we all once knew, is now spirited with competence and determination. In the little town of Magdiwang, in her home province Romblon, she spread her wings and took a step by step scaring up process. Learning and discovering what she was best at. And that was track and field, her core strengths were long jump and heptathlon.

During her epoch as an elementary student, at the callow age of 12 years old. Children her age would play street games with their peers. Or draw scribbles on the cemented pathways with dead dried rocks. But her, she was different. Instead of doing typical children stuff, she spent her afterschool time with the newly cut green grass, red cemented tracks, and her co athletes who were training as well.

She clearly has an eagle eye aim with her goal. It takes a strong persistent child to resist the temptation of leisure and fun. Day by day, run by run, she trained, and trained and trained. The rearing she underwent was enough for her to qualify for meets and other tounaments.

“Wooooaaahhhhh! Go! Go! Go!”

And there goes her first win! Her family, coaches, and co athletes cheered as she dominated the tracks, prevailing in first place.

What a triumph momentum for our young athlete!

A victorious moment is like an immortal quest of hunger. The more you win, the peckish you get. Craving to bring home the bacon and famished to catalyse pride to her hometown, school, and kin.

Yes, it was no doubt that she was ravenous for more. So to ease the hunger she was feeling, she did what she does best. She continued harnessing her skills, and conditioning her body. As she finished elementary school, she carried through her love for track and field. And signed up for the high school sports brigade.

1983. The year that started it all. The prime span of her sports career had begun. At 16 years old, she was already vanquishing the palarong pambansa tournament. At the heart of the province of Leyte, Tacloban City.

It felt so surreal! So dreamy! Imagine jumping and running your way to different places. Not just different places, but tournaments as well. Wow!

Through the years, she was in the golden age of her life. Living in a cloud nine moment. She competed in the heptathlon, 100m and 400m hurdles, 100m, 200m, and 400m sprint alongside the “Sprint Queen” of the Philippnines, Lydia de Vega.

You can clearly tell that it was a double win for her. She won, and she competed with a renowned athlete. Just how cool is that! It’s like acing the test with a rub on your shoulder and coming home to your mom cooking your favourite meal. Or accomplishing a contest and receiving prize money afterwards. Yes! That’s how amazing that occasion was.

Versatility. How does one master the art of versatility? Other people would think of neutral things like plain cracker or a white shirt. But have you ever encountered an athlete who embodies versatility? Someone who could play so many sports and be good at it?

Well, let us take time to know about a 17-year-old athlete and his sports journey as a versatile athlete. Page by page, word by word, let us watch his life unfold like a book flipping its pages. Basketball. Volleyball. Football. These are the very few ball sports our young athlete has played. During his juvenile years as a student, he tried out on various events, bagging multiple awards. Would you believe it?! How can someone be so good at everything they try? Should we call it luck? Or…. Magnificent skills? Maybe both, who knows?

During elementary, the prime of students would usually be on their last year – the 6th grade. The time of his life was a crowning glory to be sought about. As he tried on football, he experienced running on the fresh grass as he inhaled the morning dews. What a wonderful feeling indeed! This motivated him to push himself farther in the field of sports.

HOOOOOONKKKK! Fast forward to Grade 7. Guess what? He’s still in the football team! Well, the big difference is that everything is new. New team, new coach, new school, and new environment. That sounds pretty uninviting, or maybe the opposite, because you know what? That didn’t stop him! He was able to make new friends and he got along well with his team. Everything was going great. Until one day, without any warning, the tables turned. SNAP! He shifted to volleyball and table tennis on the second quarter of the school-year. Let’s swipe through Grade 8 and Grade 9. In three…two…one…SWISH! Nothing much happened during the era of his life. These probably were the most laid-back academic years. Yes. You guessed it right. We were still battling Covid-19. No major competitions, no intensive trainings, and no pressure loaded in his back.

Though he was relaxed, balls still bounced along rims of the court as he participated and played volleyball and table tennis. As per requirement of the Special Program he has enrolled into.

On the 30th day of October, he was given the best open spiker award at the Mary Mediatrix – BEC Village Covered Court, Sitio Bayog, Poblacion District 9 at Burauen, Leyte, his hometown.

WINK! In just one wink, he’s already in his last year of junior high school – the 10th grade. If you think that he shifted to another sport, then your thoughts are right! This time, he found his forever home.

Athletics. There was just something so indescribable with athletics – a special bond in his heart. An invisible connection only he knows. Each day, he trained harder. Aiming to be able to run faster, pacing his speed in the calloused surface of the tracks, and basking under the oven-like heat of the sun. His efforts were accredited as he qualified to compete in the nationals. As he won a bronze medal at Ilo-ilo City, he beamed with pride and represented our name as a unified institution.

Fast forward to present. Training, training, training. Everything he had been doing for the past months involved training. This year is the real deal. And we have to step-up our game. Running here, work out there, day-by-day, we become closer to reality.

“WOAAAHHHH! GO, GO, GO, ROMWELL!” Everyone cheered as he ran. He dominated the tracks. Running like some ginormous bear was chasing him. The bear clearly did not reach him as he finished silver at the 2-23 Provincial Meet. The bustling city of Tacloban witnessed the victorious glory of this young man.

Romwell a model, an ideal, and an eidolon combined. He is a living proof that exploring your means and trying out new options is committed yourself into.