The South Korea women’s national team is fighting for better working conditions and gender equity from the Korea Football Association, inviting the federation to discuss their concerns and potential improvements.

Players voiced their concerns during a meeting with the Korea Pro-Footballer’s Association, revealing the disparities in facilities and conditions the women's team regularly face, in comparison to the men's senior squad and U23 Olympic side.

One of the players’ biggest concerns is their welfare, and lack thereof due to last-minute call ups and scheduling - as well as less than adequate travel arrangements. Many of the players that are at Korean clubs already play twice a week. Their existing match schedules are already intense, but coupled with poor transportation on long-haul flights – like the 18 hour one they recently endured for friendlies against the USA – doesn’t provide them with enough rest time to perform to their best ability.

In addition to poor scheduling and communication – an issue that has affected multiple women’s teams across the world in recent years – the training facilities pale in comparison to the men’s. With the women's team regularly forced to play on any spare pitches the KPFA can find. The squad also expressed a lack of interpreters when abroad, and even have to return their own equipment at the end of each camp. Due to a lack of appropriate transportation and accommodation, players have had to change in airport restrooms at times.

This all boils down to insufficient funding for a South Korea side that has made it to four World Cups and were runners-up in a closely contested Asian Cup battle less than two years ago. The sad reality is that this treatment and lack of funding is still the norm in women’s football despite the progress that has been made in the sport.

With more teams fighting for equity, from the Reggae Girlz and Argentina to Canada and now South Korea, here’s to a future where women don’t have to put up a fight just to be treated with the same care and respect as their male counterparts.