- Gender Pay Equity Pledge: West Indies cricket commits to equal pay for male and female players.
- Roadmap to Equality: MOU outlines steps for parity in match fees, allowances, and prize money by 2027.
- Global Cricketing Trend: West Indies joins the movement for fairness in cricketing environments.
In a historic move, the West Indies cricket team has pledged to achieve gender pay equity for both male and female players, aligning with a global trend in cricket. This commitment was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Cricket West Indies and the West Indies Players’ Association.
The MOU outlines a clear roadmap to achieve pay parity in international and regional match fees, captain’s allowances, and team and individual prize money by October 1, 2027. This follows the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) announcement of prize money parity for men’s and women’s teams at ICC tournaments.
CWI speaks on gender pay equity
Described as a significant day for West Indies cricket by Dr. Kishore Shallow, the President of Cricket West Indies, the commitment underscores the region’s dedication to gender equality in cricket. Efforts include changes to compensation structures, performance grading, and aligning travel policies for the Women’s team with established policies for the Men’s team.
“As we overhaul the compensation structures and align performance grading, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and progressive cricket framework. This step reflects our unwavering commitment to gender equality and acknowledges the immense contributions of female players to West Indies cricket.”
“In the preceding year, we undertook substantial enhancements to our travel policy, mandating that the West Indies Senior Women’s team travel business-class on all extended international flights and are accommodated in single rooms during international assignments.
“This aligns seamlessly with the established policy for West Indies Senior Men’s tours. Today, with the signing of this MOU, we take another significant stride in narrowing the gender gap within our cricketing community.”
Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies, anticipates that the commitment to gender pay equity will lead to enhanced on-field performances. The changes include increased prize money, higher rewards for top-performing players, and elevated match fees for players in the starting XIs.
“We are proud to embark on this journey towards gender pay equity,” Grave said.
“The significant increases for our female players demonstrate our dedication to rewarding excellence and promoting fairness in our cricketing community.
“The increases in prize money, greater rewards for our best performing players and higher match fees for players in the starting XIs, are all strategic moves to place a greater emphasis on winning.”
This initiative reflects broader global efforts to address gender disparities in sports, and the signing of the MOU demonstrates the West Indies’ strategic move to emphasize winning and recognizing outstanding performances, irrespective of gender. The West Indies joins other cricketing nations actively working towards creating a more inclusive and fair cricketing environment.
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