Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Wage Remuneration in Liberia Women Football

Main Article Content

Massa Paasewe Johnson
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7286-017X
Prof. Omo Aregbeyen
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2085-1294
Dr. Emmanuel, Babatunde Durowaiye

Abstract

Women’s football has often experienced low wage remuneration compared to men’s, and research has primarily associated this disparity with gender inequality, however, this study explored other equally significant factors that contribute to low wage remuneration in women’s football. The study examined how economic and sociodemographic factors impact wages in women's football in Liberia. It explored and evaluated the influence of sociodemographic factors (family, media, years of experience, level of play) on the wage remuneration of female footballers in Liberia and how economic factors (income, employment) have influenced wage remuneration in women’s football in Liberia. The descriptive study design was employed for this research. Participants were given questionnaires to fill across various sociodemographic, and economic profiles to obtain information on women footballers in Liberia. The inferential statistical tools, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), and Multiple regression techniques were used in analyzing the data to identify the relationships between sociodemographic and economic variables on wage remuneration. In this sample of 550 participants (100%female, predominant age range – 20-24 years), social factors such as media and family structure (β = -0.084, t = -2.043, P= 0.042), and sociodemographic factors such as years of experience and level of play (β = - 0.168, t = -4.117, P= 0.000) had significant influence on women's football wages in Liberia. However, Economic factors such as income, and employment (β = -0.008, t = -0.183, P= 0.855) did not contribute significantly to wage remuneration in women’s football in Liberia. Sociodemographic factors were significant determinants of wage remuneration in women's football in Liberia. Specifically, sociodemographic variables, such as media, family, years of experience, and level of play, were major determinants of remuneration and wage levels in women's football in Liberia.

Keywords: Liberia Women Football, Sports, Wage Remuneration, Wage Inequality, Socioeconomic, Sociodemographic, Gender Wage Gap

Article Details

Johnson, M. P., Aregbeyen, O., & Durowaiye, E. B. . (2024). Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Wage Remuneration in Liberia Women Football. African Journal of Sports and Physical Sciences, 2(1), 96-114. https://doi.org/10.62154/ajsps.2024.02.010399
Articles

Copyright (c) 2024 Massa Paasewe Johnson, Prof. Omo Aregbeyen, Dr. Emmanuel, Babatunde Durowaiye (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Massa Paasewe Johnson, Pan African University, Life and Earth Science Institute (including Agriculture and Health).

Massa Paasewe Johnson is a student at the Pan African University, Life and Earth Science Institute (including Agriculture and Health) reading Sports Management and Policy Development. 

Prof. Omo Aregbeyen, Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Prof. Omo Aregbeyen

Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. 
Email Address: omoarebeyen@gmail.com
Tel: +234803077150


 Biographical notes: 

He is the Chairman of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Ibadan and has contributed to knowledge through several publications.

 

Dr. Emmanuel, Babatunde Durowaiye, Department of Sociology, Federal University Wukari, Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria.

DUROWAIYE BABATUNDE EMMANUEL

Department of Sociology, Federal University Wukari, Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria. 
Email Address: durowaiyebe@gmail.com 
Tel: +2348123488699


 Biographical notes: 

He is an Associate Professor of Sociology, and the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences in Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria. His areas of Sociological interest include Development, Social Exclusion and Education. He has contributed to knowledge through several publications.

Alegi, P. (2010) "African Soccer Scapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game." Ohio University Press.

Archer, A. (2018). "Supererogation, Philosophy Compass. 13 (3). doi:10.1111/phc3.12476. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12476

https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12476

Archer, A., & Prange, M. (2019). 'Equal play, equal pay': moral grounds for equal pay in football. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 46(3), 416-436. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00948705.2019.1622125

https://doi.org/10.1080/00948705.2019.1622125

Birrell, S. (1984). "Separatism as an Issue in Women's Sport." Arena Review, USA 8 (2), 21-29. 9

Biscomb, K., Matheson, H. (2017). Are the times changing enough? Print media trends across four decades. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 54(3), 259-281. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690217716574

https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690217716574

Bowes, A., Culvin, A., and Carrick, S. 2023. Equal Pay Debates in International Women's Football. https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/49170/ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-052-820230013

https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-052-820230013

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). (2019) Women's World Cup 2019: Fifa reports record-breaking viewing figures. https://www.bbc.com

Bruce, T. (2008). Women, sport and the media: A complex terrain. In Obel C., Bruce T., Thompson S. (Eds.), Outstanding research about women and sport in New Zealand (pp. 51-71). Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research.

Bruce T. (2016). New rules for new times: Sportswomen and media representation in the third wave. Sex Roles, 74(7-8), 361-376. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0497-6

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0497-6

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). (2024). Highlights of women's earnings in 2022. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2024

Bjerksæter IAH and Lagestad PA (2022) Staying in or Dropping Out of Elite Women's Football-Factors of Importance. Front. Sports Act. Living 4:856538. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.856538 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.856538

https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.856538

CBBC. (2023). Equal pay: Wales women's football team will earn the same as male players. htpps://www.bbc.co.uk

Civil Rights Act (CRA). (1964). The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/equal-pay-act-1963

Cleveland, J. N., Kaur, M., & Akindes, G. (Eds.). (2020). African Sports: A Reader. Athens: Ohio University Press.

Coche R. (2021). A new era? How the European ESPN covered the 2019 Women's World Cup online. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690221992242. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690221992242

https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690221992242

Cooky, C., Council, L. D., Mears, M. A., Messner, M. A. (2021). One and done: The long eclipse of women's televised sports, 1989-2019. Communication & Sport, 9(3), 347-371 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211003524

https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211003524

Digest, E. (1998). The effects of socio-economic status on girls' sports participation. Information Analysis. New York, US: Population Council.

Edgeworth, F. Y. (1922). Equal pay to men and women for equal work. The Economic Journal, 32(128), 431-457. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2223426

https://doi.org/10.2307/2223426

Equal Pay Act. (1963). The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/equal-pay-act-1963

European Institute for Gender Equality, 'EIGE, Gender in Sport'. (2017), https://eige.europa.eu/publications/gender-sport

European Institute for Gender Equality, EIGE, Country Specific Information. (2022) https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/countries/poland

FAI. (2021). Equal pay agreed for both MNT and WNT. https://www.fai.ie

Farrington, N., Kilvington, D., Price, J. (2012). Race, racism and sports journalism. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203146309

https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203146309

Fasting, K. (1987). Sports and women's culture. Women's international forum. 10,361-368. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-5395(87)90053-7

https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-5395(87)90053-7

Fawcett, M. G. (1918). Equal pay for equal work. The Economic Journal, 28(109), 1-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2222105

https://doi.org/10.2307/2222105

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). (2014) "Women's Football Survey 2014." https://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/women/02/52/26/49/womensfootballsurvey2014_e_english.pdf

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). (2015). "Key Figures from the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™." July 7. http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/news/y=2015/m=7/news=key-figures-from-the-fifa-women-s-world-cup-canada-2015tm-2661648.html

Federico, I., Bowden, M., Hamalian, S. (2023). Gender inequality in sport: The challenges facing athletes. https://www.euronews.com

FFA & PFA. (2019). "Historic CBA to close football's gender pay gap". Football Australia. https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/historic-cba-close-footballs-genderpay-gap

FIFPro (2017). Global Employment Report: Working Conditions in Professional Women's Football. https://www.fifpro.org/en/industry/women-s-global-employment-report

FIFPro (2020). Raising Our Game. https://www.fifpro.org/en/industry/raising-our-game/raising-ourgame-launched

Football Makes History Editorial (2021) A game for equality.

Gitonga, E., Munayi, S., Mwangi I. & Ngetich, E. (2010). The grand coalition government in Kenya. A Recipe for sports development, International Journal of Humanities and social science. 1(18), 12-13.

Giulianotti R., Collison H. (2020). Sport and the COVID-19 pandemic: A structuralist analysis of key themes in the UK mass media. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2, 578472. Crossref. PubMed. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.578472

https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.578472

Glass, A. (2020). "Brazil Announces Equal Pay for Women's and Men's National Teams". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2020/09/02/brazil-announcesequal-pay-for-womens-and-mens-national-teams/?sh=fa32b739084d

Goal Nepal. (2020). ANFA opts equal pay to Nepal national team players. https://www.the-anfa.com

Gould, E. (2024). Gender wage gap persists in 2023. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org

Guzman, G., Kollar, M. (2023). Income in the United States: 2022. https://www.census.gov

Gwiazda, A. (2021). 'Right-Wing Populism and Feminist Politics: The Case of Law and Justice in Poland', International Political Science Review 42(5), 580-595. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512120948917

https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512120948917

Hakala, Katja (2020) Sponsoring women's football − Attracting sponsors in the Finnish sponsorship market. University of Turku. International business. Master's thesis

Hellman, D. (2008). When Is Discrimination Wrong? Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Historic England. (2023). The History of Women Football in England. https://heritagecalling.com

Inglehart, R., & Pippa, N. (2003). Law and Justice is a national conservative political party in Poland. Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change around the World. New York: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511550362

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511550362

Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR). (2024). Women earn less than men whether they work in the same or different occupations. https://www.iwpr.org

Keith, D., Parry, B.G., Clarkson, A.B., Grubb, L., Rowe, D. (2023). Media Framing of Women's Football During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Communication & Sport 11(3), 592-615 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211041024

https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211041024

Killilea, T. (2021). The 1921 Football Association ban on women's football at its members' grounds. The Women's Football Magazine. https://thewomwnfootballmagazine.com

Leseth, A. (2013). Sport in Africa: Essays in Social History. New York: Routledge.

Levermore, R., Beacom, A. (eds) Sport and International Development. Global Culture and Sport. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230584402_6

Lie, S. L. (2017). Enorme kjønnsforskjeller i idretten. NRK.

Lippert-Rasmussen, K. (2014). Born Free and Equal? A Philosophical Inquiry into the Nature of Discrimination. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199796113.001.0001

https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199796113.001.0001

Malhlmann, P. (1988). "African Traditional Sports and Games." In J. S. Esterhuizen & P. J. Joubert (Eds.), The Cultural History of South Africa: A Bibliographic Guide (pp. 161-167). Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.

Manoli, A. E. (2020). COVID-19 and the solidification of media's power in football. Managing Sport and Leisure, 1-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2020.1792802

https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2020.1792802

Matchett K. (2020. Coronavirus: Women's football facing 'existential threat', says Fifpro. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/womens_football/coronavirus-womens-football-contracts-leagues-suspended-a9469031.html.

Mean, L. (2001). Identity and discursive practice: doing gender on the football pitch. Discourse and Society, 12(6), 789-815 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926501012006004

https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926501012006004

Moreau, S. (2010). "What Is Discrimination?" Philosophy & Public Affairs 38, 143-179. doi:10.1111/j.1088-4963.2010.01181.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1088-4963.2010.01181.x

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1088-4963.2010.01181.x

'Most Popular Sports Disciplines in Poland from 2019 to 2021', December 2, 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1201497/poland-most-popular-sports-disciplines/

Nicholson, M., Kerr A., Sherwood M. (2015). Sport and the media: Managing the nexus (2nd ed.). Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315776422

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315776422

Nicholson, P. (2017). "Argentinean women refuse to play as AFA funding barely covers expenses". Inside World Football http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2017/09/25/argentinean-women-refuse-play-afafunding-barely-covers-expenses/

Oelz, M., Olney, S., & Tomei, M. (2013). Equal pay: An introductory guide. International Labour Organisation

Office for National Statistics (ONS). 26 October 2022. Employee earning in the UK. Statistical bulletin. https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/employeeearningsintheuk2022

Oli, P. 2020. In landmark decision, women national football players to get same salary as men. https://kathmandupost.com

Oonk, G. (2023) We played for 95.000 people but came home to a ban. Football Makes History.

Ortiz-Ospina, E., Hasell, J., Roser, M. (2024). Economic Inequality by Gender. How does the gender pay gap look like across countries and over time? https://ourworldindata.org/economic-inequality-by-gender

Pfister, G. (2015). Assessing the sociology of sport: On women and football. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 50(4-5), 563-569. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690214566646

https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690214566646

Pitts, B.G., Zhang, James, J. (2018) The Global Football Industry: marketing perspectives. Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.

Reuters. (2017). "Norway FA agrees deal to pay male and female international footballers equally". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/07/norwayfootball-pay-male-female-internationals-equally.

Rott, N. (2016). U.S. Women's soccer team members file wage discrimination complaint. https://www.ctpublic.org

Saavedra, M. 2009. Dilemmas and Opportunities in Gender and Sport-in-Development. In: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230584402_6

https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230584402_6

Sanderson, J., Cassilo, D. (2019). "I'm glad I played when the country still had gonads": Pop Warner's kickoff policy change and the framing of health and safety initiatives in football. Journal of Sports Media, 14(1), 1-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jsm.2019.0002

https://doi.org/10.1353/jsm.2019.0002

Skogvang, B.O. (2006) Gertrud Pfister Players' Coaches' Experiences with the Gendered Sport/Media Complex in Elite Football in Mari Kristin Sisjord (Eds.) (2013) Gender and Sport Changes and Challenges. Waxman Verlag GmbH.

Smith, A.C.T., Stewart, B. (2015) Introduction to Sport Marketing: Second Edition. Routledge, London DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315776767

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315776767

Sporting Intelligence. (2017). "Global Sports Salary Survey 2017: The Gender (In)Equality Issue". http://globalsportssalaries.com/

Taru, K. (2024). The development and commercialization of women's football. Helsinki. University of Turku

The American Association of University Women (AAUW). (2018). "The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap.". https://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/

The Economics Daily. (2023). US Bureau of Labour Statistics. https://www.bls.gov

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division: World Population Prospects. (2022). https://data.unicef.org

Väisänen, A. (2019) Vertaileva tutkimus naisten jalkapallon kehityksestä ja nykytilasta Suomessa ja Ruotsissa. University of Jyväskylä. Social sciences of Sports. Master's thesis.

W Europie Prawie Połowa Mężczyzn Ogląda Piłkę Nożną Co Najmniej Trzy Razy w Tygodniu' [Almost Half of Men in Europe Watch Football at Least Three Times a Week], June 21, 2016, https://infowire.pl/generic/release/319933/w-europie-prawie-polowa-mezczyzn-oglada-pilke-nozna-co-najmniej-trzy-razy-w-tygodniu

Wangari, G., Kimani, E., Wango, G. (2017). Challenges faced by women football players who participate in football leagues. Journal of Developing Country Studies (JDCS) 2(2), 13-35

Watkins, G. (2015). ILO: Equal Pay - An introductory guide. International Labour Organisation. https://www.workinfo.org

Weedon, G., Wilson, B., Yoon, L., Lawson, S. (2018). Where's all the 'good' sports journalism? Sports media research, the sociology of sport, and the question of quality sports reporting. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 53(6), 639-667. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690216679835

https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690216679835

Wensing, E. H., Bruce, T. (2003). Bending the Rules. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 38(4), 387-396. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690203384001

https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690203384001

Williamson, J. 1991. Women's Football in Europe: Historiographical Approaches. International Journal of the History of Sport, 8(3), 343-354.

Wrack, S. (2022). How the FA banned women's football in 1921 and tried to justify it. The Guardian.

Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and the Politics of Difference. Princeton University Press.

Zmuda P.M., & Abouna, M. S. (2023). The Sociohistorical Challenges to the Development of Women's Football in Poland. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 40(13), 1216-1238. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2023.2295944 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2023.2295944