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German women’s national soccer team addresses sexism in brilliant video ahead of 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

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German soccer players attend the DFB 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Kit Launch
German soccer players attend the DFB 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Kit Launch

There continues to be a stereotype that women are inferior as soccer players, and this view persists despite the success of women's teams on the field. 

READ MORE: Finally! Women will now have their own national soccer league as of 2019

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup less than a month away, the door to more conversations about women in football has been kicked open.

One such conversation has come from the German women's national team firing shots at sexism and stereotypes through a powerful video posted on Twitter. 

The video starts with players asking the viewers if they know their names; “Didn’t think so. We play for a nation that doesn't even know our names," is the response they give to this question. 

"We’ve been European champions three times, right? Wrong! Try eight times,“ the narrator continues. 

The team went on to highlight the sexism they experience by stating that they were gifted with a tea set when they won their first title.

READ MORE: Soccer still a "men's" game

They went into further details about how they are stereotyped and have their abilities doubted as professionals, but assure the critics that, "we don’t have balls, but we know how to use them."

Respect for women athletes, equal pay and the 'superstar' status their male counterparts enjoy, also make up the list of concerns players and fans have.

Many supporters feel that the women’s game is athletic and exciting, yet under-appreciated.

“Since we started out, we haven’t just fought against opponents. We’ve fought against prejudice," they declared in the video.

A 2017 FifPro survey of women footballers revealed that women soccer players still fall short. The survey uncovered that 88% of women’s super league players earn less than £18,000 (approximately R326 359) per year.

According to a News24 report, when it comes to bonuses, South African women's national team Banyana Banyana earn 10 times less than their male counterparts.

READ MORE: Soccer documentary unites Iranian & German women

Banyana Banyana captain Janine Van Wyk, recently opened up on Twitter about the struggle of not being taken seriously as women soccer players. 

“There are only a few out there that actually value women’s football, that see and feel the importance of empowering female athletes,” she wrote. 

A lot of Twitter users praised team Germany for the bold video because not only does it raise awareness about the struggles women soccer players face,  it also has the right balance of humour and gritty visuals, attracting over 1.2 million views within 72 hours. 

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