Women in sports in Africa are, unfortunately, not well-represented. Their voices in sports leadership roles are few and limited. This is a situation that Sports Redeem wants to change. When my organisation Sports Redeem became a beneficiary of the Black Lives Matter in Football grant awarded by FARE Network, I was thrilled.
Under the theme Black Women Lead, the conference attracted 26 phenomenal women who shared their thoughts and experiences on the challenges that they face. These included stereotyping, patriarchy, and lack of equality measures.
We were glad to hear the voices of female referees, coaches, athletes, and sport administrators. It was uplifting to hear about achievable measures that can be taken to improve the involvement of women in sport. The participants organized in discussion groups where they thought about projects that will help overcome their challenges.
Women Empowerment Programs are one of Sports Redeem’s top priorities and we continue to organize events that help promote women’s equality and inclusion in African society. After the conference, participants have shown increased interest in participating in similar forums and launching women in sport initiatives. And I promise that Sports Redeem will be takig part and sharing the different opportunities that can be great stepping stones for women.