Fight for equality: Women's soccer teams to follow Canada's example and wear purple wristbands

The purple wristbands the Canadian women's soccer team wore during the SheBelieves Cup to symbolize its fight for equality will be on show worldwide during the FIFA April international window.

FIFPro, the union representing professional footballers, says women's national team players will wear the purple wristbands "in a show of collective solidarity and desire for positive change."

The union notes the Canadian women started the trend, symbolizing equality, to publicize their labour dispute with Canada Soccer. Ahead of the SheBelieves Cup games in February in the U.S., the Canadians also wore purple T-shirts with the words "Enough is Enough" etched on them.

The other teams at the tournament also wore the purple wristbands, as did Canada coach Bev Priestman.

"Too often, women's football players are having to sacrifice or risk parts of their careers to effect necessary change — even though this change centres on basic and fundamental rights such as fair treatment, respect, and equality," FIFPro said in a statement Thursday.

The union did say progress "at the highest level" has been made recently with FIFA saying it is aiming for full equality for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

"With this commitment ready to be enshrined, FIFPro and member unions will continue to push for and support progress towards equitable conditions at national level for players around the world," FIFPro said.

WATCH | Canadian women's soccer players sound off on pay inequity:

In March, Canadian players told a parliamentary committee in Ottawa that the Canadian women's team has essentially been treated as an afterthought compared to the men's side.

The players, who have made a combined 732 appearances for Canada at the senior level, included testimony