Gender Pay-Gap in Sports

No matter how you look at any career, corporation, class structure, or even country, there will always be a gender pay gap. The most known stat is that the average woman makes 76 cents to every dollar men make. Now looking at the non-average people, such as professional athletes, one would assume a woman and man would be closer to being equal. They are both professionals, they both put the same amount of effort and sweat into becoming a professional, and its only right for them to finally be on the same level. This is not the case, woman continue to get paid significantly lower than men, no matter the professionally. In terms of professional sports, I have came to the conclusion that its not about the woman as an individual, but the audience. The viewers are the ones who determine how much an athlete gets paid by simply turning on their TV and watching them compete. The advertising market has developed stereotypes and norms that the public are suppose to follow which influence what they want to watch. One of these stereotypes is that male sports are more superior than woman, that woman should be doing something else. The market has shaped how gender roles are displayed through sport and this effects pay tremendously. Its hard to see amazing female athletes get paid less then men just because the market says so. There is only one type of professional, no matter the gender. 

Statistics (2015): 

- The highest paid male athlete: Boxer Floyd Mayweather ($300 Million)

- The highest paid female athlete: Tennis player Maria Sharapova ($29 Million)

- 2 out of the top 100 paid athletes are female

https://create.piktochart.com/output/9481436-gender-inequality-in-sports-media