Dalton Myers | Women in sport deserve respect

The treatment of girls and women in sport has taken on more significance since this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. The US women’s national team has increased the pressure for equal pay, and now our own Reggae Girlz are saying that they just want to be paid.

What has happened is an embarrassment, but it’s probably something that was needed for us to keep the discussions going about the equal treatment of women and men in sports. Interestingly, the Reggae Girlz carefully and effectively used social media to carry out their mission.

The ‘No Pay, No Play’ protest was rolled out with precision and was well-orchestrated. Obviously, a lot of thought went into it, and the Girlz may have realised that they couldn’t depend on traditional media to give them fair coverage on this matter. Additionally, the message was on point. The players were fighting for their salary, which they indicated was promised through contractual agreements with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), which they now see as having been breached. They argued that the issue was not simply about payment from the World Cup but that their contractual payment deadlines had not been met.

OVERWHELMING SUPPORT

It is also part of a broader fight for better treatment. You will notice that the comments are coordinated and that they have decided who will speak and when, but to be honest, the social-media posts have already done the talking. They now have support from many women in sports as well as women in sport-advocacy groups. The pressure is mounting on the JFF to resolve this because the Girlz have made it clear that without pay, they will not play any upcoming matches, including the Olympic qualifiers.

This should not have reached to this level. The discussions had been ongoing for a while prior to the World Cup, and one would imagine that the JFF would have made efforts to contact the Girlz from the first missed deadline. Obviously, communication broke down. I sense a lack of trust there, too.

As in every situation, there are lessons there for us. I hope the JFF does some introspection as there is just too much negative news regarding our football administration. Some of the comments out of JFF have not helped, either. One of the lessons we should learn here is that women’s sport is still struggling to get its fair share, and while I know you will say the Reggae Boyz have had similar issues, I would say that this is somewhat different. The JFF needs to address this issue and ensure that there is no repeat and that there is greater consultation and communication with the Girlz and, generally with the teams. If the issue was going to be cash flow or missed payment deadlines, then this should have been communicated early.

REVOLVING DOOR

There seems to be a sense of disappointment all around as the historic achievement of the Reggae Girlz, despite the lack of resources, had galvanised a nation that was hoping that this would help to boost our women’s football programme. The latest developments have shattered those hopes and we are left to wonder if we have entered a revolving door. So not much seems to have changed, and with our women’s league hanging by a thread, the public is left very concerned.

The average football fan is just concerned with our various programmes and rightfully so. The JFF need to be clear on the direction of football in this country. I am sure there is one, but many persons are struggling to understand it. Importantly, we must treat our women in sport better. We must see them as an important part of our society. When players give their all for the island they call home, I am sure they expect the same in return.

Let me make it clear that this type of activism by players, once it is not done in a derogatory way, is not a bad thing and should be welcomed. The Girlz have been very straightforward and strategic in their actions. I’ve been calling for player unions and representation for protecting their rights and privileges, and maybe this is the first step. JFF, the Girlz have a lot of support and have said, ‘No pay, no play”, so over to you!

Dalton Myers is a sports consultant and administrator. Email feedback to daltonsmyers@gmail.com or tweet @daltonsmyers.