The fight for attention and due recognition for women has been on since the early 1900s, but in 1975, March 8 became the rallying point as International Women’s Day (IWD), to celebrate women who are playing significant roles in the development and progress in all spheres of life, raise awareness on the need to give women more recognition for the important roles they play, as well as highlight issues that affect the general wellbeing and progress of women.
Over the years, the campaign messages have varied, but the aim and objective for commemorating the day have largely remained the same. In recent times, however, the focus has been on equality – giving women equal access to all the benefits and interventions every human being deserves to progress and have a meaningful life.
In sports, the struggle have not changed much and this year’s campaign message: ”Embrace Equity”, resonates with the ongoing struggles women in sports continue to encounter in pursuit of their dreams.
The GOC Women’s Commission recognizes that access to innovation and technology is critical to development and progress as this year’s theme as chosen by the United Nations’s ‘DigitALL : Innovation and technology for gender equality,’ it is the embrace equity, that sums up the clarion call for all the push for equality.
Equity is key in everything as it sums up everything: regardless of gender and background having equal access helps people to realise their potential at their level, given that there are levels in all endeavours
Indeed, much gains have been made at the international level as there is largely parity in prize monies for many international competitions as well as opportunities, and this is laudable.
However, on the local scene, the gap between males and females with regards to access to facilities, opportunities to take up sports, and in administrative roles is very wide.
For instance the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo was celebrated as the first ever-gender balanced Games in history, yet it was not so for Ghana as the number of female athletes who represented were not the same as the number of male athletes.
At the moment, the disparity in the number of women who serve on sports associations is anything but equal.
While it is largely true that involvement in sports thrives on interest, passion, and capabilities, it is also true that in Ghana, the atmosphere has been more discouraging than encouraging for many women to take up roles.
There are covertly and overtly names-calling, subtle impediments put in ways, and sexism against women which all contribute to them stepping back rather than forward to take up roles.
As the GOC Women’s Commission join women all over the world to mark the IWD, we would also like to focus on issues at home and calls upon sports federation to provide an equal playing field and opportunities for women in sports to thrive either as active athletes, technical persons or administrators.
For those who show interest, we call on federations and even schools to encourage them to pursue their interest and help them develop their skills so they can efficiently play their roles.
We are all made differently, but embracing equity in all we do provides a fair playing field for us all to thrive.
On this special day to celebrate women, we celebrate all women in sports for their passion, dedication, interest, and hard work to ensure that they do not only succeed but also put Ghana’s name on the world map.
We salute the heroines of yesteryears and of today who, despite all the challenges, are braving the odds to keep the light on in the path for future generations.
Happy International Women’s Day.
