The gap in prize money between genders in sport is narrowing, despite the fact that sports such as cricket and football continue to remain disparate, according to a study by the BBC, published on Monday.
The study, commissioned for the ongoing Women’s Sport Week, found that a total of 83% of sports now reward men and women equally.
BBC took into account the prize money for world championships and similar events only, and does not include wages, bonuses or sponsorship. Of the 44 sports that pay prize money, 35 of them paid both genders equally. However, cricket, golf and football still have a major disparity, even though prize money for women has increased substantially over the past three years.
Tennis, more specifically the US Open, was the first sport to pay equal prize money, back in 1973 after campaigning from Billie Jean King and eight other female players. By 2004 athletics, skating, marathons, shooting, and volleyball also paid equal prize money to male and female athletes. Since 2004, 12 more sports were added to the list with squash, surfing and all World Championship cycling events.
But the margin of difference in the prize money between genders in cricket and football is massive, as pointed out by the study.
Real Madrid got £13.5 million for their Champions League win over Juventus earlier this month, while Lyon got a substantially less £219,920 after beating Paris St-Germain in the Women’s Champions League final.
The winner of ICC Women’s World Cup beginning later this month will pocket £470,000 – which is a big increase from the £47,000 Australia got in 2013. However, the winner of the 2019 men’s World Cup will pocket £3.1 million, which is six times as much prize money.