Sigh.
Ok, so soon after the announcement that men and women would receive the same amount of prize money for the IBJJF’s Black Belt League, most people welcomed the news with positive statements and support for the decision. A few people (particularly men, from what I’ve seen) however raised an issue with this, stating that women should not be paid as much as men.
Which frankly, I’m not surprised: there’s always going to be that minority that disagrees: either for legitimate reasons, or just to be an opposing voice in the crowd.
I understand the argument they are trying to pose: that women don’t have as many competitors in their division, so the prize amount should not be as great. I understand the argument, but I don’t agree with it- as many others have pointed out, based on that logic blue and purple belts should receive the lion’s share of prize money, since they have the most people in their divisions and would have to fight the most amount of people to reach first place.
Personally, if anything, making the prize money equal for both genders only benefits the sport, and particularly the IBJJF organization. It offers (hopefully) enough of an incentive for female black belts to continue to compete in these events, knowing there is a chance they could win just as much as a man could- at the very least there’s the recognition that their efforts and sacrifices in the sport are worth just as much as their male counterparts.
Let me know what you think-otherwise, have a great day everyone!
A Skirt on the Mat 