General
Source: Daily News
History was made this past weekend in the local sporting fraternity when two women were elected in sport leadership positions.
On Saturday, Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) appointed Ntebo Maplanka chairperson of Botswana Sports Volunteer Movement (SVM).
As women were still celebrating a major success, Botswana Basketball Association (BBA) also elected Boineelo Hardy as their president.
The development was praised by IWG secretary general, Game Mothibi, who said having two women taking leadership of both SVM and BBA in one weekend, could mean that stakeholders were positivley responding to the message of gender advocacy.
"I see a lot of changes next year; women taking the lead and coming forth to claim key positions in the sporting codes.
Our time is now. The ground is fertile and IWG and WASBO are working together to leave post-2018 legacy. We cannot host the IWG world conference of women and sport in 2018 and come out the same," she said.
Furthermore, she said BNSC and BBA should be applauded for the move by giving women of repute and hardworking top positions.
She stressed that IWG was not only about women, but about women who could deliver on the mandate and take sport to the next level.
Mothibi further said she was happy that SVM had during their weekend annual general assembly elected over 50 percent representation of women in key decision making positions.
"Honestly, this is a welcome development and I'm so happy and looking forward to more women coming forward to lead sport," she said.
Mothibi, therefore called upon all women in sport to work together to support women standing for elections.
"She doesn't have to come from your code. You have to research about her and know what contribution she can bring to sport and then rally behind her. We have a lot of women who are capable of taking sport forward and IWG is available to assist women who are willing to stand up for elections," she said.
Botswana, through BNSC seem to be heading the call by the Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration on Women and Sport.
The declaration calls for all sport governing bodies to have a gender equity policy that includes an action plan aiming at gender balance in leadership, management, administration, coaching and officiating.
One of the BNSC strategic objective is to increase the number of women participation in sport.
IWG's point of view is that women remain under-represented in leadership and decision making of all sport and sport-related organisations.
As a result, IWG had requested that policies and programmes and structures, which could help increase the number of women coaches, advisers, decision makers, officials, administrators and sports personnel at all levels with special attention given to recruitment, mentoring, empowerment, reward and retention of women leaders should be developed
By Anastacia Sibanda