Africa-Press – Botswana. Football lovers , from thursday, experience the bliss of women football as four teams from Botswana Football Association battle for the DTC Botswana championships.
In the first semi-final, Gaborone United face Selebi Phikwe based Nico United at Lekidi, followed by Orapa United and Makgabz City from Tsabong.
The winner will then fight for the trophy at the National Stadium tomorrow. Gaborone United are the defending champions, and it remains to be seen if they will dominate.
Yesterday all the players who will be competing in the tournament gathered at the University of Botswana for an engagement with stakeholders, who aimed to empower them with ‘sign posts’ for the road ahead.
The safeguarding session saw Ministry of Youth and Gender’s Matshidiso Thathana giving the players some wisdom nuggets and also assuring them that government, through the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, was fully committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women, adolescents and young girls.
She said gender equality remained a fundamental principle for the achievement of sustainable development in Botswana.
The National Vision 2036, she said, calls for inclusive prosperity for all, adding that if gender disparities continued to persist in sport, then there was no hope for any achievement despite the progress that the sporting fraternity had made so far.
Thathana said gender mainstreaming strategy aimed to level the playing field in all sectors of development, adding that it also identified disparities and introduced new, or strengthened existing policies as well as legislative measures to close gaps that limited the full participation of the marginalised, which in most cases were women, adolescents, girls, people with disability and those in hard-to-reach places.
Therefore, she said mainstreaming gender in sport was essential for ensuring inclusivity, equity, and harnessing the talents and contributions of all individuals regardless of their gender.
“This gathering brings together not just talented women footballers, but also key stakeholders who are united by a shared commitment, to ensure the safety, wellbeing and development of every player through the principle of safeguarding,” she said.
Safeguarding means creating an environment where women athletes are protected from abuse, exploitation, discrimination, and harm.
It is about fostering a culture that upholds dignity, fairness, respect, and equality, upholding values that are essential not just in sport, but in life, she said.
“The national gender machinery recognises the urgent need to establish clear policies and reporting mechanisms on safeguarding so as to prevent and mitigate gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and harassment, corruption and bullying within the sports sector,” she said.
Sport, she said, played a vital role in building character and instilling discipline, and therefore safeguarding must be seen as a priority, woven into coaching, management, and organisational structures at every level.
She told the players that they were part of a generation that was redefining what it meant to be a woman in sport, adding that ‘as you compete, you must remember that your voice matters, your safety matters, and your potentials are limitless’.
“Reject anything that threatens your wellbeing, including harmful substances and toxic influences. Know your rights, embrace your responsibilities, and stay focused on the goals you have set, not just in football, but in life,” she said.
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