Promoting safety
In changing the game for women in sport it is critical that we build on creative strategies that look into some of the social barriers that make it hard for many women, especially girls to partake in sport. This, more so in communities where there is conflict. At the same time how can we explore the power of sport as a healing tool for girls affected by violence? A case of interest for me would be a project that would involve sport for girls in refugee camps for example. Following the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa such an activity could open spaces for young women and add to the process of integration. What do you think?
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Comments
Hi Lerato -
I agree with you completely that we need more sporting activities that help girls feel safe. That is why we are going to launch a new girls boxing and leadership project in Cape Town this year. Please take a look at our entry and our website www.boxgirls.org and let me know what you think. I am also interested in getting in touch with people in Cape Town and the Western Cape who are interested in helping us in this venture and/or are running similar programmes.
All the best from Berlin,
Cameron
Heather Cameron
Executive Director
Boxgirls International
Professor - Freie Universitaet Berlin
Dear Lerato & Cameron
I have noticed that women participate in sport or games during their primary school years and tend to leave it when they enter their teen years, it could be that they are now pressured into acting like 'women' that is having responsibilities of taking care of family.
I think our challenge is to find a balance between our responsibilities for others and for ourselves and teach this to women in sport.
Afternoon all,
i also agree that women need spaces where they can use sport as a healing tool, your example of a soccer team for the children in the camps is a good one. It reminds me of exactly how our team (Chosen FEW) started, it was a way for black lesbian women to feel safe and feel like they're not alone and a way to survive in this very homophobic country. Some used it as an escape from their communities and families and the team has since grown from 'just a soccer team' to a group of feminist activists who defend the rights of women, especially black lesbian women in the townships.
We need our private companies to start sponsoring women's in sports. Look at the gap between the Bafana Bafana squad compared to the Banyana Banyana, the male national team is well resourced and well paid and the women's national team is not as well supported even though they make SA more proud than their male counterparts.
It's time women's sport is taken seriously and that women be allowed to makee a living out of sport to like their male counterparts.
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Who I love is not the issue, your hatred, prejudice and homophobia is!
If this topic is still open, I say that I hear and share al of the concerns especially when we come to compare between male and female soccer in SA. We, as a corporate that owns a women's team, struggle to find co-sponsorships let alone media 'attention'. What will attract sponsorships from anybody is the market reach/entry that will be leveraged from the sponsorships of women sports. I think that if we can get media to pay enough attention to the womens sports as much as they do about the men's then we are bound to alleviate some of our plights.
Felicity Dire
Manager: Internal Communications
Palace Group
Tel:+27 11 783 1206
Fax: +27 866 453 458
www.palacegroup.co.za