Norway’s International Men’s Football Team Have Taken A Pay Cut So That The Women’s Team Can Get An Equal Wage

The pay gap is an ongoing issue in the fight for gender equality, especially in the more male-dominated industries such as tech and sport. You might recall The Unedit’s story back in July about Lewes F.C, the football club that’s campaigning for female footballers to receive an equal paycheque to their male counterparts, but now an international team has stepped forward to set an example for the rest of the sporting world.

Norway are recognisably one of the more progressive countries when it comes to gender equality - have you seen their badass all-female special forces unit, the Jeggertroppen?! - and now their football team has agreed to take a pay cut to ensure that female players who play at the same level receive the same wage.

The pay cuts are part of a restructuring of wages, which will take effect in 2018 after the ruling was made by the Norwegian Footvall Association. Despite the women’s national team actually doing better than the men’s, female players were earning 3.1million kroner, whilst the men’s team were paid 6.55million kroner. As of 2018, both teams will earn a collective 6million kroner, which works out just shy of £574,000.

‘I just think that's how it should be,’ Norway captain Stefan Johansen said. ‘I think it can help a lot for them. We want Norwegian football ahead. The ladies are as important as us.‘ 

Women’s winger Caroline Graham Hansen took to Instagram to thank the men’s team: ‘Thank you for making this step for female athletes. For showing equality and helping us all, making it a bit easier, to chase our dreams,’ she wrote.

Here’s hoping Norway’s campaign rubs off on to some of the other countries before a lot longer.