Pernille Harder, the world’s most expensive female footballer, has joined our UEFA #WePlayStrong campaign to discuss the financial inequalities that exist within the sport by voicing her passionate views on the latest episode of UEFA #WePlayStrong’s ground-breaking new podcast series.
In episode 4 of The Football Podcast, titled ‘The one where we don’t deserve equal pay’, hosts Nadia Nadim and Rocky Hehakaija welcomed the Danish forward who took the opportunity to follow the most influential characters in women’s football by challenging controversial topics and misconceptions which surround female players.
In this thought-provoking episode, Pernille shared eye-opening insight into challenges she faced as a young girl who was made to travel across the country to simply participate in girls training sessions. The 2019/2020 UEFA Women’s Player of the Year now hopes that her record-breaking transfer will help to remove barriers for young girls who are taking their first steps on to the pitch.
The episode is the fourth in a six-part series which has already seen a host of top female players unite to share their experiences and debate a wide range of issues; from confronting the stereotypes to taking a stance against derogatory, misogynistic and gender-biased comments.
Episode 1 – The one where no one cares, featuring Megan Rapinoe.
Episode 2 – The one where our goalkeepers are embarrassing, featuring Sari van Veenendaal.
Episode 3 – The one where we should get back to the kitchen, featuring Kenza Dali.
The fourth episode in the series, featuring Pernille Harder, is available to listen to on Spotify.
Pernille expresses that financial imbalance is just one of the inequalities that exists within women’s football, as she encourages females to campaign for change:
“Equality is having the same facilities and opportunities to succeed as the men’s team. It’s not equal pay that we’re asking for right now – we want equal opportunities and the respect for what we do every day. We want a salary that gives footballers savings when they have to retire – we’re not looking for millions a week.”
“Everyone should have the same opportunities in life – it shouldn’t matter what sex you are, what religion you follow, or what skin colour you have. I want to fight for these things. I’m passionate about it and I want to speak up when I have the opportunity. To make the world a better place, we have to change the mindset of the decision makers – we have to speak up and let them see we aren’t satisfied.”
She hopes that her experiences will open academy doors for young girls who she claims must work harder than their male counterparts:
“I want to see equal opportunities for young boys and girls. It all starts with education. You see a lot of good football academies for boys – where are the ones for girls? There is a big opportunity there. Can you imagine if girls had the same opportunities as the boys? There was nothing like that when I was young. My parents had to drive hours to take us to training – girls have to work a lot harder for it.”
“I hope my record-breaking signing for Chelsea is the start of something new for women’s football”
The campaign for equal pay is not just a financial issue but a stride towards overall equality within the sport, suggests Nadia Nadim:
“What we’re trying to achieve is misunderstood. Equal pay is the goal, but what’s most important right now is equal access and equal rights first and foremost.”
“My fight has always been about having the right to play football. When I was younger, I either couldn’t play football because I’m a girl or because of the way I look. I don’t understand why there is a huge difference in how we get treated on the field or off the field because of our sex.”
“If you want the change, you have to speak up. It might be hard and it might have consequences, but sometimes you have to sacrifice to gain. The way I try to get change is by educating and speaking about the issue. Because of our platforms, when we do speak, people listen – so why shouldn’t we.”
Nadia also suggests that female professionals often carry the weight of unrealistic perceptions and expectations:
“If clubs want players to play in games two days a week and train seven days a week, they need a wage to be able to live of football.”
“Some people have never watched a women’s game before, then when a big tournament like the Women’s World Cup is on television, people see it and are like wow this is amazing. If there is interest from the public, the money will start flowing in. We need to change the mindset in society first, then everything else will come slowly.”
Courtesy of UEFA #WePlayStrong via Frame
