Pay parity between men and women cricketers heralds era of new opportunities: NCW

New Delhi: Women cricketers earning the same match fee as their male counterparts heralds a new era of equal opportunities and is a significant advancement towards achieving gender equality, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said on Thursday.

In a landmark decision, the BCCI announced equal match fees for its centrally-contracted female and male players in a bid to tackle gender discrimination.

Indian women cricketers will now receive Rs 15 lakh per Test, Rs 6 lakh per ODI and Rs 3 lakh per T20I, the same as their male counterparts, according to the newly introduced system.

The NCW welcomed the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to implement pay equity policy for contracted Indian women cricketers.

Terming it as a major victory for women cricketers across the nation, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said that this is a historic decision for women cricketers in India.

She also said that at last the voice of women cricketers is being heard. Women cricketers earning the same match fee as their male counterparts heralds a new era of equal opportunities and is a significant advancement towards achieving gender equality, the NCW said in a statement.

The commission said it hopes that this decision will inspire young talents to pursue their passion for the sport and that other sports organisations would follow the example established by the BCCI.