Kick in the teeth for women in sports
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday March 10, 2017 14:39
A line appears to be drawn in the sand as men continue to get the nod over their female counterparts.
International Working Group on Women in Sport secretary general, Game Mothibi carries the hopes of many of her colleagues to turnaround the situation before her tenure elapses in 2018.
She tells Mmegi Sport women empowerment is two-fold, with educating sports leaders on gender parity the most critical.
“For many years we had women in sport, but we never engaged deeper in conversations around gender and sport, so we are at a point where we need to educate the sport community on gender and employ gender mainstreaming into sport as a way of bringing gender issues to the fore,” she says.
Mothibi states that most men in sport are still dismissive of IWG and Women and Sport Botswana (WASBO).
She points out that men support IWG and WASBO activities through sending women only, to attend. Mothibi states that the message they are preaching is for both men and women who are already in sport structures, to work together and they simply want either party to appreciate the strength and the work that the other is bringing and not base their judgement on gender.
She adds that most men are still not getting the message as per their wish.
“We should make sure that women are interested and available to serve, empowering them to know that they can also be leaders and decision-makers.
They have what it takes. Some are ready to lead, but need support. Some find it difficult to lead or be lead by another woman,” she says.
Mothibi points out that the women come from a society, which taught them and socialised them that women are the weaker sex and cannot be leaders hence, the notion that ‘ga nke di etelelwa pele ke manamagadi’ (Women can’t lead).
She argues that such mentality makes the work of IWG in terms of providing education and empowerment, a process that takes time. Reacting to the outcome of Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) election held over the weekend where none of the contesting three women made it, Mothibi says there is need to know what went wrong.
“You cannot tell me that all of them were not as great as all the men who were voted into office? You cannot tell me that they are unfit for all the positions they contested for? So what went wrong? It is because of male privileges,” Mothibi asks rhetorically.
She says when the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) bid to host IWG, they wanted to achieve something out of it. BNSC was awarded the right to host the IWG secretariat from 2014 until 2018.
She says there is still a need to engage other bodies such as the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development and Botswana National Olympic Committee. She calls for policy auditing and making sure processes and structures are friendlier to women’s needs.
Mothibi said there is need for mother bodies’ active roles, which will then cascade to sports codes. She says while sporting codes should also be willing partners in making sure they accommodate women and their needs, it is also important to realise that sometimes if people are not responsive, affirmative action could be the next step to make sure that indeed women take part in the leadership of these sports codes.
“Why do we doubt women? Why can’t we give them the chance to lead?
Why can’t we make the environment conducive for their participation in sport appreciating that they become nursing mothers, they become pregnant and that their challenges are more than that of men and work with them as partners,” Mothibi cries out.
“Why are women appreciated when they are athletes - not that as athletes they do not face challenges, they do still - but when they want to take up leadership roles we have doubts?
Why do we go in the same class with them, do the same class work and pass the same, but when we get to work places or leadership, we now want to use the gender card?” she wonders. Mothibi says there is work that is being done, especially by IWG, but it is not enough.
In 2015, IWG launched the UN HeforShe Campaign in sport, to try and bring women as allies in issues of gender equality. Mothibi says IWG office is happy that sports codes are responding well when they are engaged one-on-one to sign the Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration.
“I am confident that WASBO will continue to engage sports codes and other people and continue the IWG legacy after 2019.
Education is ongoing and slowly, but surely the message is reaching home. I am very confident that IWG trail would be seen after 2018. By the time IWG leaves Botswana we would have made a lot of impact,” Mothibi says.