DOMINYKA OBELENYTE’S SUPPORT WOMENS BJJ CAMPAIGN

By Hannah Gorman

Marcelo Garcia black belt, Dominyka Obelenyte, is gathering support and momentum from the female jiu jitsu community in a push to gain better recognition for female fighters through equal pay at competitions. The IBJJF currently pay winning athletes at a handful of competitions they name ‘BJJ Pros'. At the New York Pro the total amount of money available to the black belt male athletes exceeds $25,000, whilst the female athletes can only secure a mere $2,700, despite paying the same in entry fees as the males. Not only does it undermine the effort and dedication the female athletes put into their training, but it sends a clear message that women are, as of yet, not accepted fully by the leading associations (as if the Metamoris controversy earlier this year wasn’t enough to frustrate us!).

Below are the numerous ways you can get involved to show your support to women’s Jiu Jitsu!

Sign the charge.org petition here

Like the support womens bjj page here

And be sure to use the following hashtags to show your support #equalpayforbjj #equalpaytuesday and #supportwomensbjj

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