WNBA Players Association Aims To Close Gender Pay Gap Through New Initiative

The gender pay gap is a longstanding issue that has plagued different industries and a group of women athletes is setting out on a mission to change the narrative surrounding inequities in sports. According to Insider, the WNBA Players Association recently unveiled a plan designed to address the wage gap.

The WNBA players’ union has a new strategy to get its players paid and increase investment in women’s sports https://t.co/C9FpTRQpa8

— Sports Insider (@SportsInsider) August 26, 2021

When it comes to investments in women’s sports, the statistics are abysmal. For every endorsement dollar invested in men’s sports, less than half a penny goes to women. Cognizant of the disparities, WNBA stars were determined to take their tenacity and leadership beyond the court and into the arena of activism. Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike—who has continually used her platform to evoke social change—has teamed up with other players to lead an effort centered on leveling the playing field for women athletes.

As part of the initiative, WNBPA inked a partnership with the company Parity. Founded in 2020, the platform was created to align professional women athletes with corporate sponsorship opportunities. The company merges sports and technology in an effort to eradicate the gender pay gap issue. Parity has worked with over 600 athletes across 40 different sports and has garnered support from brands that include Morgan Stanley and Microsoft.

Ogwumike, who serves as the WNBPA’s President, says the partnership will be instrumental in moving the needle forward towards women’s equality. “Talking about supporting women is easy, but doing it takes another level of perspective and awareness,” she said in a statement, according to the news outlet. “For a lot of players that may not necessarily be first in line to get the big deal or the ones who are considered more mid-level market players, this is a perfect way to ensure that everyone is valued. That’s certainly something that I was happy about when I was in discussions with Parity.”

News about the newly minted partnership comes months after the WNBA announced the creation of an initiative launched to combat racial health disparities faced by Black women and girls.

Serena Williams Invests In Black Woman-Founded Healthcare Platform HUED

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