The debate over whether males and females should be paid the same as males in sporting competitions has been a contentious one for many years. Male sports are on a different level than females. They are faster-paced, more physical and so much better than females in endurance performance, strength and overall level of achievement. No females participate in male’s leagues such as the NBA, NFL or Major League Baseball because they cannot compete at the same level.
In addition female athletes are not paid to the same level as male athletes, even though they train to the same level. For example, the maximum salary for a WNBA player in 2005 was $89,000, whereas the top salary for a male was $15,000,000 which is 168 times more than WNBA player. This is the huge amount of difference.
Similarly, prize money for females is nowhere near the same as that of males. For example, the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) total prize money for the year 2003 was $50 million, whereas the prize money for the PGA at the same time was $256 million. Sponsorship as a result is always smaller for female competitions than the male equivalent. Female athletes also get less media coverage such as in newspapers, magazines, television and so on.
The reasons why female athletes get less pay, have less prize money and attract less sponsorship and media coverage are because they are not seen as spectacular or as powerful as male sports. They don’t perform same amount as men, e.g. tennis 3sets VS 5sets. They also don’t attract same number of spectators.. The entrance fees of men’s games are higher.
Females have had fewer opportunities to participate in physical activities. In antiquity, the Olympics were available only to males, whereas females were not allowed even to watch competitions, much less compete. Up till mid to late 19th century, females were not encouraged by schools or community to be active. Those who did were considered “tomboys” on ‘unladylike’....