Editorial: Million-dollar gender pay gap

Mark Dawson, editor of Wanganui Chronicle

It's the gender pay gap to monster all gender pay gaps.

In fact, Minister for Women Paula Bennett should be hikoi-ing her way to Wellington right now, along with Dr Isabelle Sin whose report released yesterday suggested "sexism" was stopping women earning as much as men.

Dr Sin reckoned that for every dollar a man earned, a woman was picking up just 84 cents, even though adding the same value to a business.

But that 16 cent differential is piffling compared to the job where the man earns $1 million and his female counterpart earns zilch.

So as we rejoice in the Black Ferns magnificent rugby World Cup triumph, beating England 41-32 in an epic final in Ireland on Sunday, remember this - those girls are amateurs, they have to work a day job to keep a roof over their heads, and they have to fit in a massive training commitment around the need to go out and earn a crust.

All Blacks skipper and World Cup winner Kieran Read is a million-dollar man; Black Ferns captain Fiao'o Fa'amausili is just a World Cup winner.

And it should be pointed out that the vanquished England Roses had professional players in their midst and, knowing a little about how English rugby works, they could all probably lay claim to being semi-pro.

After the glorious victory in Belfast, Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore said he hoped the women's game in New Zealand would turn professional.

I wouldn't bet against that happening. The Ferns provide marvellous entertainment and there will be sponsors queuing up to get alongside them.

Perhaps they need to send mighty three-try prop Toka Natua down to the New Zealand Rugby Union headquarters to negotiate their pay.

But if you asked them, you might find money is among the last things on their mind - what they achieved on Sunday was priceless.

FOOT-NOTE: Great to see two Whanganui women in that victorious Black Ferns squad - former Girls College teacher Kristina Sue and former Whanganui High School student Sosoli Talawadua.