DPM calls for women execs

EZULWINI – The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Thulisile Dladla, has urged the ESRC and EOCGA to advocate for and support the inclusion of women and those with disabilities in sports association’s executive committees.

ESRC denotes Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council. The DPM shared this through the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bongani Nzima during the Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games (EOCGA) National Gender Equity Forum held yesterday at the Happy Valley Hotel and Casino, Ezulwini.

DISABILITIES

The DPM shared that through the discussions that were done during the course of the programme, she believes that they will lead to a fair representation of people with disabilities and women across all levels of sports as well as the adoption of sustainable ways to administer and play sports in Eswatini.

“Ensuring inclusion and the fair representation of women in our work should start within leadership structures and cascade down to lower positions and levels in sport. Recently, the Inter-Parliamentary Union praised the country’s efforts to advance the representation of women in Parliament,” she said.

The DPM further said she was pleased to see various sports leaders in attendance of the programme and hoped they would go back and their constitutions and vigorously implement those equality.

“We must see people with disabilities and women in your executive Boards,” the DPM said.

ACCESSIBLE

The DPM further mentioned that while bringing masses closer to sports the nation should consider making the country’s products accessible to all people.

“As we bring sport to people, let us consider the big and small ways in which we can make our products accessible. For example, we must explore ways to make our communication material inclusive through using captions for videos and bringing in sign language interpreters for our big events,” she added.

The forum’s main objective was to discuss gender equality in sports, along with exploring the local sports landscape.