From the Pitch to the Boardroom: What Business Can Learn from Equal Pay Wins in Sport

Equal Pay Day serves as a sobering reminder that women worldwide still earn around 20 per cent less than men, the equivalent of working without pay for the final two months of each year. It highlights a reality that is as much about fairness as it is about economics. UN Women’s flagship report The Gender Snapshot 2025 shows that achieving gender equality could add four trillion dollars to the global economy by 2030. The case is clear. Equality is not only a moral imperative but also a powerful driver of growth, resilience, and innovation.

Despite the evidence, the private sector continues to lag. Yet sport has shown that historical change is possible. Recent victories across football, tennis, surfing, and volleyball reveal that determined action, collective organising, and transparent data can move institutions that once seemed immovable. For businesses, the lesson is simple. Equality pays.

Equal pay victories in sport

In 2022, after years of campaigning, the United States women’s national soccer team secured a landmark equal pay agreement. FIFA has since pledged to narrow prize money gaps at the World Cup. In tennis, all four Grand Slam tournaments now award equal prize money to women, while the Billie Jean King Cup has achieved parity with the Davis Cup. The World Surf League took action as far back as 2019, ensuring equal prize money across all competitions. Volleyball has also made major strides, with women and men competing for the same levels of prize money in international tournaments.

These achievements have demonstrated the power of persistence and collective action. They also highlight the value of parity. Equal pay wins have boosted fan loyalty, strengthened brand value, and elevated the profile of women’s sport. Yet the progress is uneven. Women in the WNBA still earn only a fraction of the salaries of their NBA counterparts. In less-commercialised sports and in developing regions, gender pay gaps remain strikingly wide. Sponsorship and media coverage continue to skew heavily towards men. Notably, none of the 50 highest-paid athletes on the Forbes 2023 list were women.

The broader lesson is clear. Even in sport, where momentum for equal pay is real, persistent inequalities remain. For the private sector, the challenge is to learn from sport’s successes while avoiding its patchwork approach.

The business case for equality

The figures make for compelling reading. Achieving gender parity could contribute 342 trillion dollars cumulatively by 2050. Companies with the most gender-diverse executive teams are 25 per cent more likely to outperform on profitability. In emerging markets, gender-diverse boards generate 2.4 times higher returns on investment compared to those that do not include women. Top-performing companies are nearly 50 per cent more likely to include women equally in leadership decisions.

And yet, women hold just 30 per cent of management roles globally and only 7 per cent of CEO positions. Enforcement of equal pay laws remains weak, with just 20 per cent of economies mandating audits or reporting. While voluntary pledges to improve gender equality are growing, without real accountability they risk becoming little more than branding exercises.

Lessons for business from sport

Sports victories provide five clear lessons that companies can adopt:

1. Collective action works. Women athletes achieved results by organising, unionising, and litigating. Businesses should listen to employee advocacy groups and empower women’s networks.
2. Transparency drives change. Publishing pay data forced sports federations to act. Companies that disclose their pay structures create accountability and public trust.
3. Parity pays. Equal pay wins improved loyalty, fan engagement, and brand value. Businesses that pursue pay equity will see similar benefits with customers, investors, and employees.
4. Investment is essential. Sports federations redirected resources to achieve parity. Companies must do the same, from funding care services to investing in women-owned suppliers.
5. Progress must be universal. Pockets of progress are not enough. Businesses must commit to closing gaps across all regions, roles, and sectors.

Three actions employers can take today

First, publish and disclose pay gaps. Examples abound. Brazil’s 2023 pay transparency law requires companies to share data. The United Kingdom has seen its widest narrowing of pay gaps since 2017 under mandatory reporting. Iceland introduced an Equal Pay Certification that audits company pay structures.

Second, support work-life balance and recognise unpaid care. Businesses in Latin America are co-financing care services with governments, while UN Women’s Asia–Pacific Care Accelerator has proven that care enterprises are both profitable and inclusive.

Third, build women’s leadership pipelines. Countries such as France and India have accelerated representation through quotas and gender equality scores. In Tanzania, DSM Corridor Group is employing women in technical roles and creating pathways for them to rise to leadership positions.

The time to act is now

The unfinished business of gender equality cannot be delayed. Companies have both the power and responsibility to deliver equal pay and workplace equality. The evidence is overwhelming. Organisations that put equality at their core are more resilient, more innovative, and more profitable.

Sport has shown that history can be rewritten. The private sector must now step up, publish its pay data, invest in care, and champion women’s leadership. Equal pay is not simply a matter of fairness. It is a smart economic choice, one that future-proofs business and unlocks trillions in growth and innovation.

The time to act is now.

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