Costa Rica’s women’s soccer team is gearing up for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and this time, they have much to celebrate. The team has successfully negotiated a collective rights and duties agreement that mirrors the one achieved by the men’s team in 2014. ASOJUPRO, the Costa Rican soccer players’ union, hailed it as “a great achievement” and “an inspiration for Latin America.”
The agreement, signed in April 2022, is groundbreaking for a Latin American country. It defines prizes, expenses, transportation, and other basic needs for female soccer players, using the same model as the men’s national team. One of the most significant wins for the women’s team is that they will receive the same proportional percentage of bonuses as the men for their participation in the tournament, thanks to this agreement.
Steven Bryce, general director of ASOJUPRO, explained that negotiations were successful thanks to the “unity and mutual trust” between the players and the union. He added that they started from scratch and had to negotiate every point. This was no easy task, but it is an enormous step towards professionalizing women’s soccer and improving the players’ conditions, which is happening worldwide.
The former Costa Rican player sees the agreement as “a great example of working maturity and a call to all countries to imitate Costa Rica.” This achievement is not just significant for Costa Rica but for women’s soccer worldwide. It sends a message that women’s soccer is as important as men’s and should be treated equally.
As the women’s team prepares for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, they can do so knowing that their efforts have paid off. They have secured a historic collective rights and duties agreement that will set the standard for other countries to follow. This is not just a win for the women’s team, but for all female athletes striving for equality in their respective sports.
The Costa Rican Women’s National Team has achieved a significant milestone ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup by securing a collective rights and duties agreement that mirrors the one achieved by the men’s team in 2014.
This landmark agreement defines the basic needs of female soccer players and ensures that they receive the same proportional percentage of bonuses as the men for their participation in the tournament. This is a historic achievement that will inspire other countries to follow suit and promote equality in women’s soccer worldwide.
