The Women’s World Cup is a fantastic force for equality – but it is only a start

Writing ahead of Wednesday’s debate in Parliament on discrimination in sport, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine explains why the Women’s World Cup is only a start rather than a solution

The Fifa Women’s World Cup match between Scotland and England was both great to watch and a fantastic advert for the game.

But it was also much, much more.

As a child I loved playing football, and nagged my parents until they bought me my own football strip. But there were few people who didn’t find my girlish enthusiasm either amusing or something to frown upon.

This is why the knowledge that six million viewers thought it worthwhile to tune in to watch two teams enjoy a platform previous generations could only dream of filled my heart with joy.

But my optimism was not unqualified.

Of course, things have improved on the pitch since bans on the women’s game were lifted in 1972 in England and then in Scotland in 1974, but fifty years of unbridled sexism lingers on.

And re-emerges in some unusual and unpredictable places.

It was not so long ago that journalists like my former colleague Hazel Irvine were regarded as trail blazers for female sports presenters. Yet this week that the BBC has been accused of sexism for its all-female line up of pundits covering the match.

Surely the fact that the BBC has been making efforts to promote women in football and respect the game and its players to the extent of presenting an all-female line-up should be celebrated. BBC Pundits such as Alex Scott are doing an incredible job as role models for both young girls and boys watching football, whilst having to put up with vile abuse day in day out.

It is not just about representation, but the prize money for the winners of the world cup this year will be £3.1 million. That’s double what the USA took home in 2015. In isolation that looks like a huge leap, but just last year the men took home nearly ten times as much.

Critics claim that’s fair considering women’s football is far behind the standard of the men’s game but without more support the worlds women’s teams will continue to miss out on the same playing, training and travel conditions as the men.

It is therefore no surprise women are taking action

The US team are the best in the world (Getty)

The current Women’s World Champions - the USA - are pursuing a gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S Soccer Federation, with the help of the Time’s Up Movement.

That movement was started to fight for women in all jobs and walks of life and now aims to secure justice for the American team. The United States women’s national team is the best in the world and has been for decades. The team has been ranked No.1 by FIFA for 10 of the last 11 years, has earned more for U.S. Soccer than the men’s team did, but yet the players are still paid significantly less.

These athletes are being forced to fight for their rights at the same time as competing to keep the world title, rather than having the luxury of simply focussing on the tournament. Something female athletes have faced for as long as they have been involved, just ask Billie Jean King, Kathrine Switzer or Serena Williams.

It is about time they finally got paid equally. Hopefully as more brands such as Nike, Budweiser and Lucozade bring in investment, the standards will rise, visibility will improve and that goal will be achieved.