A step in the right direction for gender parity

Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday October 27, 2026 13:53

It is a positive step towards closing the gender gap, particularly in sports where the divide has traditionally been wide. Retaining women and girls in sport has always been a mammoth task, particularly after their school or tertiary education years. Talent has gone down the drain because of cultural and societal barriers that push women towards predefined gender roles.

The case in point is Magedeline Moyengwa, a former top-ranked weightlifter in Africa, who disappeared into oblivion because of cultural practices. Today, Botswana marks an important milestone in its pursuit of gender equity in sport as six athletes depart for Dakar to represent the country at the first Youth Olympic Games to be held on African soil. Four females make up the team, accounting for 66% of the contingent. This could be a first for Botswana, as its teams have largely been dominated by males. Speaking at the team's send-off in Gaborone on Monday, Botswana National Sport Commission chairperson, Tshepo Sitale described the composition as a positive step towards gender equity.

He highlighted that under the Olympic Solidarity programme, female athletes receive greater financial support than their male counterparts in a bid to incentivise and retain their talent. It is a commendable move, one that will hopefully translate into tangible gains in gender parity. The Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, also commended the team's composition. The hope is that this was a deliberate strategy rather than an accidental outcome only recognised after the team was announced. Overall, Botswana still lags in women's participation in decision-making, falling below the 30% benchmark set by SADC countries. These small steps, however, offer proof that the country could be heading in the right direction.

That said, merit, rather than gender alone, must remain at the heart of selection decisions. Both Sitale and Kelebeng emphasised that the team was selected on merit, and there is little doubt that the young female athletes have earned their places. But as the nation celebrates this milestone, it must not overlook the two male athletes who are equally deserving of recognition. They, too, are part of the equation. Efforts to uplift the girl child must not come at the expense of the boy child. Neglecting boys could, in the long run, reverse the situation and leave them marginalised instead.

Both deserve to be celebrated and supported in equal measure. Hopefully, the gender balance witnessed in the Youth Olympic team is not a flash in the pan, but the beginning of a fruitful journey towards gender parity in sport. Aluta continua!