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The United States women’s national team and Canadian players wore purple as a symbol of protest during their first match of the 2023 SheBelieves Cup on Thursday. The Canadian players donned purple shirts saying “Enough is Enough” during the Canadian anthem, while USWNT players sported purple wrist tape as the Canadians have been involved in a year-long dispute with their federation over pay inequality and lack of resources with budget cuts in the build-up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ahead of the game, Canadian players released a statement detailing their intent to protest, highlighting the choice of purple as a symbol.
“Tonight, our players will be wearing purple as a symbol of protest,” the statement began. “Purple has historically been associated with efforts to achieve gender equality. Considering the current circumstances, our players will continue to wear purple until our association has standards in place that ensure equal treatment and opportunity.”
The USWNT’s Players Association released a similar statement in unity with the Canadian players. The statement touched on their own past issues with U.S. Soccer, noting that with their new collective bargaining agreement, the USWNTPA is on the other side of the fight but will always express solidarity against gender inequality.
The USWNT players wore purple tape on their wrists along with white tape that read “defend trans joy,” stating that the demonstration was in solidarity with Canadian players and “in the name of gender equality.”
“Although we are now on the other side of this fight and can focus on our play on the field, our counterparts in Canada and elsewhere are experiencing the same pervasive misogyny and unequal treatment that we faced,” the statement read. “We stand with all women’s footballers in calling attention to their collective fight, but also call on everyone to join and support the fight to eradicate ALL inequality and discrimination that exists in our sport.”
The players even came together in a symbol of unity at midfield before the match began.