Jowell joins women players' call for equal pay at Wimbledon
The culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, will today call for the abolition of the pay differences between men and women players at the Wimbledon championship.I'm all for pay equality but I don't think their is a case here for the Women's champion to be awarded prize money equal to that of the Men's champion.
In a letter to be sent today - exactly one week before the competition starts - to the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which organises the event, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport will express "deep concern" over the gender disparity in prize money at the tournament.
Two months ago the French Open announced it would offer equal prize money to its men's and women's champions. The Wimbledon tournament is now the last major tennis championship which does not offer equal pay to the competition's winners. Supporters of the pay discrepancy point out that women play three-set matches rather than the longer five-set matches in the men's game.
Pay equality surely must be based on equal or equivalent work and I don't see there being equality of the amount of work they have to do. The Wimbledon Championship is a business and though the women's matches may be of equal draw to spectators and broadcasters because the Men's matches take longer spectators get more tennis and broadcasters get more footage.
Therefore the Men's matches are worth more to Wimbledon and the male players should therefore be payed a greater amount than the women.
If the women played five-set matches I'd be on the other side of the argument but they don't. There is a disparity but not inequality in my opinion.
Labels: Sport
