By Lori Ewing
(Reuters) -Canada’s women’s team will play at this month’s SheBelieves Cup under protest but the Olympic champions say their fight is far from over and have vowed future boycotts if their demands over pay equity are not met.
Members of the Canada team held a virtual call with media on Tuesday, two days before kicking off the four-nation SheBelieves tournament against world champions and hosts the United States as they step up their preparations for this year’s World Cup – which the Canadians firmly believe they can win.
“There’s a FIFA window coming up in April where we have said that if things are not just addressed, if things aren’t fixed, we’ll not be going to that camp,” said long-time captain Christine Sinclair.
“So (playing this tournament under protest) is a short-term solution,” added the forward.
The players said the “disgusting” discrepancy between the Canada men’s and women’s soccer programmes became obvious last year in Qatar, where Canada’s men made their first World Cup appearance in 37 years in November.
“I think we’ve been fighting blindly not knowing what our federation was capable of in terms of support, and then we were all witnesses to what our men’s team received as they prepared for their World Cup last year.”
Canada forward Janine Beckie, who was in Qatar as part of the Canadian broadcast crew, said the discrepancy went beyond just salaries, citing a men’s staff that was double the size of the women’s.
“We’re in this for the long haul,” said Beckie. “And what we’re asking for are fundamental changes in the way the CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) operates in order to operate our national teams at a world class level.
“It’s been a really, really difficult couple of days specifically, and a really difficult camp, And it’s just been really hard to be here under these circumstances.”
LEGAL ACTION
The women sat out practice on Friday in protest, but returned on Saturday under the threat of legal action.
Sinclair said the players were still discussing plans for a protest when they take the pitch on Thursday, “but I’m sure there will be something.”
The 39-year-old said her team mates were feeling a wide range of emotions.
“Those of us that are player reps are exhausted and deflated,” she said, “But this could be our most important fight that we’ve ever had. And as national team players, it’s one we’re determined to win.”
The CSA spent $11 million on the men’s programme in 2021, and $5.1 million on the women.
“We expect nothing less than to be treated the same way and it’s pretty disgusting that we’re having to ask just to be treated equally,” Beckie said.
“It’s a fight that women all over the world have to partake in every single day, but quite frankly we’re really sick of it.”
The women said they had received words of support from the Canadian men’s players and members of the U.S. women’s team, who won a similar pay equity battle.
Japan, the 2011 world champions, and Brazil round out the field for the SheBelieves Cup, which takes place in Orlando, Florida, Nashville, Tennessee and Frisco, Texas.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
