Minister Quizzed After Women Footballers Received $500 for 2016 Olympics, Men Received $40 000 For Afcon

Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation Kazembe Kazembe was asked by Harare East legislator Jessie Majome to explain the disparity in pay between male and female footballers. The women, the Might Warriors, received a stipend of only $500 when they participated at the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, their male counterparts, the Warriors received $40 000 each and a housing stand when they participated in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Writing on her Facebook page, Majome said

I took the Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation – Hon. Kazembe to task on what his ministry was doing to ensure that women and men in sport are paid equally, using the disparity between the Mighty Warriors and the Warriors as an example. This was during the Question With Notice Session in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Please click here for the full Hansard http://www.parlzim.gov.zw/…/national-assembly-hansard-07-ma…

I am shocked by the huge pay gap between the Mighty Warriors and Warriors sides. The men got $40000 + a stand each for their participation at the AFCON, while the ladies who represented Zimbabwe at the Olympics each got a $500 stipend. In 2015 the Mighty Warriors were promised residential stands for qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, but up to now they haven’t received anything. This problem is not only in football but exists in most if not all sporting disciplines in Zimbabwe.

Hon. Kazembe said the Ministry through the Sports and Recreation Commission was working a remuneration policy that will promote fairness, rewarding men and women equally for participation in the same competitions. On the issue of the pay gap in soccer he said this was due to lack of sponsorship for women’s tournaments, which he said was an international problem. The men’s AFCON and COSAFA tournaments have sponsors while the women equavalents don’t.

On my question on the Mighty Warriors’ stands, the Minister said the ministry engaged the Ministry of Local Government which indicated that they were going to offer the stands in Harare, Bulawayo or Mutare. The Sports Ministry is still waiting for Local Government’s response.

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I will pursue the Sports Ministry’s undertaking to give stands to the women’s national team.