Procter & Gamble has become the first Official Partner of the United States Soccer Federation to offer public and financial support to the US women’s team in their gender discrimination battle with the governing body.
The consumer goods giant, which supports US Soccer through its Secret deodorant brand, will make a $529,000 (€469,000) donation to the US Women’s National Team Players Association – a symbolic figure which represents $23,000 for each member of the victorious 23-player Women’s World Cup roster.
Read this: USWNT files gender discrimination lawsuit against US Soccer
Secret also took out a full-page advertisement in the New York Times on Sunday, which declared: “Inequality is about more than pay and players. It’s about values.”
The ad continued: “Let’s take this moment of celebration to propel women’s sports forward. We urge the US Soccer Federation to be a beacon of strength and end gender pay inequality once and for all, for all players.”
Read this: Luna Bar offers bonus to bridge pay gap for US women’s soccer team
Earlier this year, nutrition brand LUNA Bar gave each member of the 23-player roster $31,250, which represented the difference between the women’s and men’s World Cup roster bonus.
The USWNT has sued the governing body in its battle for equal pay and working conditions, a matter that is going to mediation.
Read this: USSF and US women’s team agree to mediation in gender discrimination dispute