Equal Pay or Equal Opportunity? Examining Gender-Based Inequality in Professional Indonesian Sport through a Sports Justice Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65815/0nvxtz02Keywords:
Gender equality, equal pay, professional sport, sports justice, women athletesAbstract
Gender-based inequality in professional sport extends beyond differences in remuneration and may involve unequal opportunities for competition, sponsorship, media exposure, career advancement, and institutional support. Debates surrounding equal pay therefore require consideration of the broader structural conditions under which male and female athletes compete. This article examines gender inequality in Indonesian professional sport through a sports justice framework. Using normative legal research, the study evaluates equality principles, employment protections, contractual arrangements, sports governance, and the economic structures of professional sport. The research argues that formal equal treatment is insufficient where institutional practices systematically provide different opportunities to athletes based on gender. At the same time, differences in commercial revenue cannot automatically justify discriminatory treatment where athletes perform comparable professional functions. The article proposes a multidimensional equality framework incorporating remuneration, access to competitions, sponsorship, facilities, medical support, career development, and representation in sports governance. It further recommends transparent criteria for determining compensation and commercial benefits while ensuring that market-based considerations do not become a mechanism for perpetuating structural discrimination. Applying a sports justice perspective would shift the discussion from simple comparison of salaries toward broader questions of distributive, procedural, and substantive equality within Indonesia's professional sports industry.
Downloads
References
Acker, Joan. 1990. “Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of Gendered Organizations.” Gender & Society 4 (2): 139–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124390004002002.
Ackerly, Brooke, and Jacqui True. 2010. Doing Feminist Research in Political and Social Science. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Adiyatma, Septhian Eka, Muhammad Iqbal Baiquni, and Rania Putri. 2024. “Sports, National Identity, and Justice: How Major Sports Events Reflect Social Inequities in Indonesia.” Indonesian Sports Justice Review 1 (4). https://doi.org/10.65815/aqjr9x48.
Anderson, Eric. 2009. “Inclusive Masculinity: The Changing Nature of Masculinities.” London: Routledge.
Cairns, John. 2020. “Gender Equality and Women’s Sport: The Limits of Formal Equality.” International Journal of the History of Sport 37 (9): 815–832.
Carrick, Sarah. 2024. “A Two-Pronged Approach: Utilising Sports Governing Bodies’ Statutes and Equal Treatment Legislation to Achieve Equality of Treatment in Women’s Football.” The International Sports Law Journal 24: 247–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-024-00283-8.
Colquitt, Jason A., Jeffery A. Conlon, Michael J. Wesson, Christopher O. Porter, and K. Yee Ng. 2001. “Justice at the Millennium: A Meta-Analytic Review of 25 Years of Organizational Justice Research.” Journal of Applied Psychology 86 (3): 425–445. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.425.
Cunningham, George B., et al. 2024. “The Paradox of Challenging and Reinforcing Stereotypes in Women’s Sport Sponsor Communication.” Journal of Marketing Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2023.2273937.
Fink, Janet S. 2015. “Female Athletes, Women’s Sport, and the Sport Media Commercial Complex: Have We Really ‘Come a Long Way, Baby’?” Sport Management Review 18 (3): 331–342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2014.05.001.
Fraser, Nancy. 2009. Scales of Justice: Reimagining Political Space in a Globalizing World. New York: Columbia University Press.
Indonesia. 1945. The Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
Indonesia. 1999. Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights.
Indonesia. 2003. Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Manpower.
Indonesia. 2004. Law Number 40 of 2004 concerning the National Social Security System.
Indonesia. 2007. Government Regulation Number 16 of 2007 concerning the Organization of Sports.
Indonesia. 2007. Government Regulation Number 18 of 2007 concerning Sports Funding.
Indonesia. 2021. Presidential Regulation Number 86 of 2021 concerning the Grand Design of National Sports.
Indonesia. 2022. Law Number 11 of 2022 concerning Sports.
International Labour Organization. 1951. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100). Geneva: International Labour Organization.
International Labour Organization. 1958. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). Geneva: International Labour Organization.
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. 1977. Men and Women of the Corporation. New York: Basic Books.
Lesch, Lara, Shannon Kerwin, and Pamela Wicker. 2022. “State Politics and Gender Diversity in Sport Governance.” Economics of Governance 23: 385–409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-022-00275-0.
Mahesri, Arunika Kayara, Aurexa Nayeli Lim, and Qistara Alyzea Amani. 2025. “Sports and Gender Justice in Indonesia: Analyzing the Opportunities and Challenges for Women in Indonesian Sports.” Indonesian Sports Justice Review 2 (2). https://doi.org/10.65815/xcga7c47.
Mahony, Daniel F., and Donna Pastore. 1998. “Distributive Justice: An Examination of Participation Opportunities, Revenues, and Expenses at NCAA Institutions—1973–1993.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues 22 (2): 140–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/019372398022002002.
Mahony, Daniel F., Donna Pastore, Mary A. Hums, Damon P. S. Andrew, and Stephen W. Dittmore. 2010. “Organizational Justice in Sport.” Sport Management Review 13 (2): 91–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2009.10.002.
Patel, Seema. 2021. “Gaps in the Protection of Athletes’ Gender Rights in Sport—A Regulatory Riddle.” The International Sports Law Journal 21: 257–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-021-00182-2.
Pérez Gázquez, Isabel M., and Carmen Barquero-Ruiz. 2024. “Gender Equality in Women’s Professional Sport: Progress and Pending Challenges.” Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte 19 (59). https://doi.org/10.12800/ccd.v19i59.2113.
Putra, Aditya Pratama. 2024. “Sports and Justice in Indonesia: Examining Gender Equality and Fairness in Athletic Opportunities.” Indonesian Sports Justice Review 1 (1). https://doi.org/10.65815/khfx6n35.
Rawls, John. 1971. A Theory of Justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Ridgeway, Cecilia L. 2011. Framed by Gender: How Gender Inequality Persists in the Modern World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Salido Fernández, Juana. 2020. “Olimpismo, Género y Comunicación: Una Aproximación al Deporte Femenino y a su Representación en los Medios Deportivos.” Comunicación y Género 3 (2): 119–124. https://doi.org/10.5209/cgen.68559.
Saputra, Raka Adi. 2024. “Youth Sports and Social Justice: Ensuring Equal Access to Athletic Development Programs in Indonesia.” Indonesian Sports Justice Review. https://doi.org/10.65815/mcbe2b43.
Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development as Freedom. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Sotiriadou, Popi, and Donna de Haan. 2019. “Women and Leadership: Advancing Gender Equity Policies in Sport Leadership through Sport Governance.” International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics 11 (3): 365–383. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2019.1577902.
Subroto, Rendra Prabowo. 2024. “The Impact of Commercialization on Sports Justice: A Case Study of Indonesia’s Elite Sports Programs.” Indonesian Sports Justice Review 1 (2). https://doi.org/10.65815/01a0aw61.
Torres-Romay, Emma, and Silvia García-Mirón. 2020. “Women’s Sports Sponsorship: Current Situation and Trends.” Comunicación y Género 3 (2): 125–137. https://doi.org/10.5209/cgen.70373.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 2015. International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport. Paris: UNESCO.
United Nations. 1979. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. New York: United Nations.
Wijaya, Bima Dharma, and Daffa Rizki Hidayat. 2024. “Access to Sports for All: Promoting Inclusivity and Equity in Indonesia’s Sports Policies.” Indonesian Sports Justice Review 1 (1). https://doi.org/10.65815/409ng229.
Young, Iris Marion. 1990. Justice and the Politics of Difference. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All writings published in this journal are the personal views of the authors and do not represent the views of this journal or the authors’ affiliated institutions. Authors retain copyrights without any restriction under the license of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
