Jobs & Education4 mins ago
Prize Money for Women at Wimbledon.
This has caused a heated debate in our office today..........is it right that the prize money on offer for women at Wimbledon is less than for men?
Can't say I have an opinion on this to be honest - great game to play but, in my opinion, bloody awful to watch - but can see both sides of the debate (on the one hand equality between the sexes, on the other the men play more sets).
Answers
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Not that I have a particular stance on the issue. But seems if your doing less work (in the form of less sets) then it's only fair you get less money.
If it's such a big issue then that are free to stay away from the event.
Loosehead makes a good point there I feel. Although then wimbledon would go on FOREVER!!!!
Kempie - I also totally agree with your point.
The only arguement I accept in favour of paying the women less is that much of it is controlled by TV these days and gate prices. The women provide less entertainment (purely in terms of match time I mean) and so should be paid less.
WoWo - I don't really get your point. If you mean that the woman working part time wants to be paid the same amound as the full-time male workers... then the analogy is spot on. Otherwise... I'm lost!
Fact: women cannot play on an equal term with men in a 5 set game of tennis.
As kempie says - to have true equal rights, there would not be a mens' and womens' class - just one prize.
I would be fascinated to hear the argument for 'equal rights' from anyone - really can't see a logical argument
The mens game is more popular with spectators.
The mens game is more popular with tv viewers.
The mens game gains more interest from tv companies.
The mens game therefore generates more income from tv rights.
The mens game attracts more sponsorship money.
The men play more sets in each match.
Where is the debate?
Higher cost and sales of tickets and media coverage. Men's tennis also gets more viewings on TV, revenue for sponsors and advertisers is also more.
Any sporting event is compared in the same way. Mens and Women's football and Golf etc. It's not sexist it's all about the
revenue brought in.
Men's tennis generates more money for a host of different reasons: more popular, more spectators, more TV money etc. However you look at this, it's right (by that logic) that men's prize money is higher. I've not even given any thought to 3 vs 5 sets.
Basically, it's higher for the same reason that football generates higher prize money than top class dominoes.
As much as I'd love equality to exist everywhere NOW, in my mind there's no debate her at all. It's simple maths, not sexism.
well actually yes it does.....a woman cannot compete physically with a man on a tennis court over 5 sets. Nothing sexist about it - just as a woman will never run as fast as a man over 100 metres, never be able to throw a javelin as far as a man etc. (and I am talking about the top 100 - not matey boy down the road - you will get occasional women who can compete with men - but I doubt there would ever be a female winner).
If you want to take sexism out of the equation, then Wimbledon should just be about one prize with men and women competing equally. I bet you that people don't like that and start complaining that not enough women are in the tournament.
Yes, most sports are sexist....but that is because they have to be.
incidentally, I actually prefer watching the women's games as its not just about brute force and serves.
I'm sure a read a report a few years ago that in athletics we women will out perform men in a few years time! I can't remember how many "a few" was predicted to be. However we are get faster at a faster rate than men are. We're throwing further at a faster rate than men are and jumper higher, longer etc etc . It was all about evolution and how men's and women's bodies are changing. I will look for the article now.
PS - When I saw "we" I mean women. I am absolutely NOT an athelete! :-p
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF15/1561.html
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0151.htm
I haven't had time to read either of these in great depth, but people may be interested. It's not directly on the topic, but it discusses the issue of men vs women in sport. Interestingly, the top men and women are only about 15 minutes apart in marathons, and I think that a LOT of women would beat a LOT of men, lower down the ranks.
Many arguements that ARE on this topic are http://www.debatabase.org/details.asp?topicID=300
That's not working as a link on my page, but if you google "debatabase prize money equal tennis" you'll get it. That page also has lots of links to relevant pages.
I hope this adds something to the debate. :-)
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