We salute women in sport
IN AUGUST, Women’s Month, as we celebrate the achievements of women, it’s noteworthy that in sport we have plenty to be proud of. Our female sports stars have brought a great deal of glory to South Africa in recent times. The first name that comes to mind is, of course, is our Olympic superstar Caster Semenya.
Throughout her trials and tribulations and the unfair public turmoil she has to endure over the constant debate around her identity, Semenya continues to shine on the global stage. It was only last week that Semenya tore up the record books once more when she clipped 0.09 seconds off the 18-yearold national 400m record.
We will be honouring Semenya and her fellow local female sports stars in a special “Women in Sport” tribute magazine later this month.
The Proteas women’s cricket team will also be featured, highlighting the immense growth of Dane van Niekerk’s side and their chances at the upcoming ICC World T20 in the Caribbean.
Banyana Banyana football stars Janine van Wyk, Thembi Kgatlana and Linda Motlhalo also share their experiences playing in the fully-professional National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for the Houston Dash in the United States.
These are only but a couple of inspirational stories of women making their mark in the international sporting world, while we also move “off the field” through insightful interviews with football’s “Mama Ria” (Ria Ledwaba), boxing Zandile “Zah” Malinga and also showcase the female voices of South African sport, namely Julia Stuart, Crystal Arnold, Cynthia Tshaka, Elma Smit and more.
But women’s sport still has a very long way to go. It is not supported to the same extent as men’s sport is. It mirrors what’s happening in the private sector, where women with the same qualifications, experience and creativity are often not paid the same as men.
We must be merciless in rooting out the racists and sexists in our midst. We must insist on transformation, equally in the workplace and on the sports field.
It is time those men who head the corporate world are forced to take our sportswomen seriously and increase their sponsorship to the same level as men.