Thursday 14 April 2016 17:45, UK
Chelsea Ladies boss Emma Hayes believes women’s football must grow in this country before there can be a debate about equal pay in the game.
The equal pay debate has been brought sharply into focus by the complaint filed by five senior members of the US Women's National Team against their federation for wage discrimination.
Despite four Olympic titles and three World Cup wins, including last year's showpiece which was watched by 23 million people in America - the highest television audience for a football match in US history - the women earn less than half than their male counterparts.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that the matter is far from straightforward and called for the debate to be taken "very seriously."
But Hayes - who guided Chelsea Ladies to the league and FA Cup double last season - says commercialisation of the women's game is key before we can have the similar conversations in this country.
"It's about taking one step at a time," she told Sky Sports News HQ.
"I think it's a conversation that needs to be linked side-by-side with commercialising the women's game and if that happens, and there is growth and there are more revenue streams, I'm sure there will be more pay for women in all sports.
"There has been huge progress post the 2012 Olympic Games. The lasting legacy of that is women's sport and I think we will continue to see more investment but it is step-by step.
"The important part is women's sport is here to stay and at a club like Chelsea that is very much the case.
"We have 22 full-time players here who are thriving and able to represent the club because of the opportunities that have been afforded to us and we are very grateful for that."
Last week, Australia's female cricketers were handed a pay rise by their board, with seven of those confirmed to take part in this summer's inaugural Kia Super League in England.
New Zealand captain Suzie Bates will also play in the competition this summer but says the women's game must be better promoted in her homeland before female players can seek parity with their male counterparts.
"I guess we can't really demand too much until we've proven to be a success," she said.
"But I think once the women's game on its own starts attracting crowds and TV numbers then I think we will be able to demand more of that revenue.
"The more it's on TV, and the more it's promoted in the media, the more opportunities there are for that.
"I can see the argument but in New Zealand at the moment we haven't done the work to promote the game to increase its profile, but in Australia and in England they have done that really well and they are getting people watching."
