General
Source: Daily News
Women and Sport Botswana (WASBO) has finally signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration on Women and Sport.
Some of the Helsinki recommendations are that sport organisations and/or communities identify measures which withdraw the barriers restricting women and girls from participating in sport and physical activity.
Such barriers include cultural based stereotypes which identify certain sports as not suitable for women, lack of information about the positive values of sport, safety, accessibility and child care services.
Other recommendations are that sport organisations and governmental institutions take actions to bring to the public attention the positive, life-long impacts of participation of girls and women in sport and physical activity.
This, should be done through education and training, awareness-raising programmes and campaigns including the fight against stereotypes in sport, with specific attention given to groups of girls and women in societies that face particular barriers to sport because of their abilities, position and status in society.
Speaking at the signing of declaration, International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport, co- chairperson, Ruth Maphorisa said the signing of Brighton Plus Helsinki
Declaration was not just a token but a commitment to make a difference in the life of women.
"I am saying in the impact of a woman because we know the impact of participating in sport, what it can bring in health and economic life of women. We need not go far, we know where it has taken Amantle Montsho from, and we know where she is, that's sport for you," she said.
Furthermore, Maphorisa said if more women were enrolled in sport they would bring about the economic change needed in the country.
She said gender; particularly women issues were consistent with the sustainable development agenda.
"No one should be left behind, thus we are bringing everybody along both women and men, and what IWG is basically saying is that, the playing field has to be levelled.
We are not leaving men behind, but we are saying you cannot run a race, where somebody starts earlier than the others and you expect then to reach the finish line at the same time," she said.
Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) chairperson, Solly Reikeletseng said, "Women alone cannot transform gender landscape; hence it is imperative for all stakeholders' to work together across the gender spectrum to bring about the change that is desired by all."
He said one of the critical activities in the WASBO calendar this year, was to drive the gender mainstreaming initiative in partnership with IWG and the gender machinery network.
"In this regard, we are keen as the BNSC to support this initiative, and help to bring about the necessary change in our policies and strategies, to ensure that they provide a conducive and supportive environment for gender balance in sport," he said.
Furthermore, he said the signing of Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration by WASBO was a clear commitment to driving the legacies from the world events and properly positioned to drive issues arising from 2018 IWG conference.
WASBO secretary, Tebogo Kesupile said there had been concerns that her organisation was not moving fast enough in addressing women in sport issues in alignment to IWG.
She however said the organ had since made significant strides towards strengthening their collaborative effort.
"Among the collaborative effort is that, WASBO participated at the just ended Africa Women in Sport hosted by IWG in Gaborone and the participation was important in terms of preparing WASBO for meaningful participation in the coming IWG 2018 conference," she said.
By Anastacia Sibanda