Why are there male and female chess competitions?

Why are there male and female chess competitions?
And can women ever become all male/female world champion
?

1. Because men at the top are objectively stronger, as of today, than women at the top, and there is interest in women events
2. Yes. It just have not happened. Most tournaments are not "male", but there is an "open section". You can enter whether you're male or female. I think the Polgar sisters are somehow to be thanked for this

Females are in minority so just like there's junior and senior etc. competitions, there's ones for females. Yes, a female CAN become a "male/female" world champion. Judith Polgar has been pretty close becoming one.

@ Lol judit polgar was never close to becoming World Champion !! What are you smoking?

@noobforlife Judit Polgar was once in the top 10. That's pretty close to WC material, IMHO

Polgar s best placement was top 8, she was never a WC challenger (although she has frequently mopped the floor with Short who has managed to qualify as a WC challenger). Still her results against actual world champions show she was never WC material, although she has quite a good score against Topalov. Then again her score against Kasparov and particularly Kramnik were disasterous.

Because women are really bad at chess and can't compete in male leagues.

Yes, ofc woman can become WC. Expecting that to happen during my lifetime (next 60 years, probably) with about 50% probability.

WIM FIONA for World Champion!!

The only way woman can become world champion during your lifetime would be If Leela chess zero was allowed to play in the championship. Being first female world chess champion is not equal to being the first US female president, which is bound to happen soon, it s a much greater feet.