What is the Work of Sportsmen and -Women, and (When) Should it be Paid Equally?

Professional sport, like most human activities undertaken for pay, is subject to Article 23(2) of the Universal Declaration Human Rights (“Equal Pay Equal Work”). An athlete’s ’work’ can be variously construed, however, as entertainment/profit generation, athletic performance, or effort. Arguments in support gender wage parity professional sport that are based on former two construals must rely counterfactual assumptions, given audiences and performances athletes identifying female do not currently equal those male. But philosophical and/or scientific accounts conditionals form ’If conditions X obtained, then entertainment value/performance would male athletes’ remain uncertain. Thinking work effort, other hand, ties remuneration a quasi-unobservable quantity, with paradoxical outcomes if varying levels social disadvantage taken into account. Procedural justice considerations, finally, such opportunity yield equality unless we make similar postulate right independent appeals substantive justice. On either these approaches, case requires strengthening.