Pursuing a career in sports

By the age of 14, girls drop out of sports at a rate twice as high as boys, according to the Women’s Sports Foundation. There are several reasons behind this, but the main one stays constant throughout the years — the pay gap.

“I’m discouraged from pursuing a career because I’m thinking, ‘Am I getting paid minimum wage to play a professional sport?’ Women’s sports are inferior, which is not true, but it is played as that,” Gaboury said.

Women worldwide face the same issue of not being able to follow their dreams because of the significantly lower pay. On the other hand, men are often pushed into becoming professional athletes due to their high success in the industry.

“A lot of times, you can’t really support yourself and your family with the pay that women athletes are getting,” Hayes said.