United States goalkeeper Hope Solo practices in preparation for the 2015 women's soccer World Cup at Waverly Soccer Complex in Winnipeg, Canada.
The 2015 Women's World Cup kicks off in Canada this weekend, yet the FIFA scandal has been sucking up all the headlines.
“It’s been a much needed thing that fortunately has taken place, but in some respects unfortunate that it’s so closely tied to the Women’s World Cup,” says Caitlin Fisher a former professional soccer player. Fisher now runs the Guerreiras Project, advocating for female soccer players in Brazil.
She recently moved to Berlin to join up with the larger movement Discover Football, working on gender justice within global football.
“You know that there are these barriers, that there are these prejudices in the women’s games. … Where do you start, whether its salaries or women’s teams flying to the World Cup in economy class while all the men’s teams fly business class?”
One major gender disparity is the fact that the Women’s World Cup Games will be played on artificial turf in Canada, rather than actual grass. Several prominent female players brought a lawsuit against FIFA over the issue, but it was dropped six months before the games were set to begin.
“[The lawsuit] was very easily brushed aside and silenced by FIFA, but it is a great opportunity to think about how these were women who were taking FIFA and holding FIFA accountable in the courts. This was an issue of fairness and justice and they were saying 'look there’s an issue of gender discrimination going on here. And we’re taking FIFA into the court, potentially planting seeds for holding FIFA to account," Fisher explains.
While the FIFA scandal may grab headlines, Fisher says ultimately it won’t stop fans from watching the games. Fisher herself will be in Canada for the first half of the tournament. The US and Germany are two of the favorites.
“Many of my former teammates are on the Brazilian women’s team and I think they’ll have a very strong team this year. We’ll see how Marta — the Brazilian superstar — will do this year,” she adds.
As to which team she thinks will take the cup, she coyly avoided the question. She’ll be watching the final from Berlin, she points out.
“I should be careful what I say, being here in Germany at the moment,” she jokes.