Treat women sports equally - Letticia
MBABANE - To enhance the participation of women in sports, top referee Letticia Viana believes companies should invest the same amount they pumped into men’s competitions.
Viana, who also serves as an Assistant Sports Officer in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, shared her views in the latest government civil servants’ blog. The FIFA-accredited video assistant referee, known as a VAR specialist, highlighted the importance of supporting female athletes. “Companies should invest the same resources in women’s sports as they do in men’s sports. When companies sponsor men’s tournaments, they contribute more and when they remember women, the amounts are often disappointingly low. Let’s invest in our women,” she stated.
Viana, who has blown the whistle even beyond the country’s borders, recapped that women in sports often have multiple roles as wives, mothers, caregivers, and household leaders. She said they managed their sports commitments alongside their family responsibilities, juggling more than their male counterparts, yet still performing well. “It is important to address the issue of equal pay between male and female sports practitioners. Some women are fully employed by sports, but the pay, if there even is, is really not enough for them to live by,” she further said.
Viana began refereeing in 2005. In the government’s blog, she also touched on the challenges of working in a male-dominated sports industry. “When I started, it was very difficult because I was the first female to officiate in the Premier League and I was dealing with people’s perceptions. People believed that refereeing was not a woman’s job,” the VAR specialist added.
To overcome such challenges, she had to have a coping mechanism. “While it has been painful being overlooked because of my gender, I also understood earlier in my career that I am not doing this for myself but rather for every girl child out there. It brings me great joy today to see many female referees around and some in the Premier League. It’s not just me now but it’s ‘us’ working together to open doors for the next generation of female referees.”