[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 222 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 222

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Federation Internationale 
    de Football Association should immediately eliminate gender pay 
   inequity and treat all athletes with the same respect and dignity.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2015

Mr. Leahy submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Federation Internationale 
    de Football Association should immediately eliminate gender pay 
   inequity and treat all athletes with the same respect and dignity.

Whereas the Federation Internationale de Football Association (referred to in 
        this preamble as ``FIFA'') awarded $576,000,000 to the 32 teams that 
        competed in the 2014 Men's World Cup, but only awarded $15,000,000 to 
        the 24 teams that competed in the 2015 Women's World Cup;
Whereas FIFA awarded $35,000,000 to the team that won the 2014 Men's World Cup, 
        but only awarded $2,000,000 to the team that won the 2015 Women's World 
        Cup;
Whereas FIFA awarded $6,000,000 more in prizes to each team that lost in the 
        first round of the 2014 Men's World Cup than to the team that won the 
        2015 Women's World Cup;
Whereas FIFA awarded $420,000,000 to the 32 teams that competed in the 2010 
        Men's World Cup, but only awarded $10,000,000 to the 24 teams that 
        competed in the 2011 Women's World Cup;
Whereas FIFA awarded $31,000,000 to the team that won the 2010 Men's World Cup, 
        but only awarded $1,000,000 to the team that won the 2011 Women's World 
        Cup;
Whereas the 2015 Women's World Cup Final had more than 25,000,000 viewers in the 
        United States, making it more widely viewed than the Major League 
        Baseball World Series or the National Basketball Association Finals;
Whereas the 2015 Women's World Cup highlighted the need to eliminate the 
        existing gender pay disparity in prize award structure in athletic 
        competitions that has persisted for decades;
Whereas the unfair and unjust prize award allocation system used by FIFA sends a 
        terrible message to women and girls around the world about the value of 
        their contribution to sports;
Whereas, in 2007, Wimbledon finally implemented an equal prize payment structure 
        for all athletes, regardless of gender; and
Whereas gender should not determine the amount of a prize award that a person or 
        team receives in an athletic competition: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) urges the Federation Internationale de Football 
        Association to immediately eliminate gender pay inequity and to 
        treat all athletes with the respect and dignity those athletes 
        deserve;
            (2) supports an end to the unfair and unjust practice of 
        gender pay inequity in the workplace, including athletic 
        competitions and related prize awards;
            (3) urges all other local, State, Federal, and 
        international organizations to eliminate gender pay inequity; 
        and
            (4) instructs the Secretary of the Senate to submit a copy 
        of this resolution to the President of the Federation 
        Internationale de Football Association.
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