Kampala — At the first-ever Women and Sports Conference in Uganda, at the Grand Imperial Hotel on February 22, congregants, mostly girls, spent a full day in Sasa Hall navigating the country and demanding situations of ladies’ sports activities in Uganda. Inadequate investment, lack of safe area, and restrained media interest–with societal stereotypes, the thread that connects those–featured most. Marking International Women’s Day, we present excerpts from our exclusive interviews with a number of the panelists. Winnie Anyang:
Former countrywide rugby captain People study ladies as losing time doing sure things like sports activities. Because the sport I do is male-dominated, human beings question me, ‘What are you going to take advantage of because you’ll endure children and drop out.’ But I inform them, ‘I already bore my kids, and I’m still performing very well.’ Someone asks you, ‘Are you lesbian? Why are you gambling on any such sport?’ It’s insulting and demoralizing, to mention the least.
The different issue is the lack of funding. I consider numerous gifted girls die with their competencies due to the fact the government does now not fund us sufficiently. I did not forget a school’s rugby opposition a few years ago. A girl from Lira turned into perfect, rapid, passionate, and aggressive but performed in a skirt because she didn’t have shorts. I gave her my shorts… At the very least, they beat St. Lawrence palms down. But I have by no means seen her again. She might be somewhere bearing kids, but her skills are buried. So I think if the government stops wasting money on vain ventures [which I know you know] and offers more funding to us, the sky’s the limit for Ugandan sportswomen.
And can a Ugandan sportswoman be a complete girl? Yes, as long as the person appreciates that this lady loves her sport. What kills relationships is that sportswomen journey plenty. So, the man has to be patient. I assume [Dorcus] Inzikuru would have won us more medals if she hadn’t given birth then because that became her peak. I want her husband to become a little patient, allowing her to explore her expertise completely. I use her, for example, because a teammate can cover up for my weakness in crew sports activities [like rugby]; however, if you are an individual sportswoman, it’s you and yourself alone.
Flavia ‘Flirsh’ Oketcho: National basketball captain. Women’s sports no longer get as much interest as the guys. The media insurance is also still low, even though this is converting in recent times. The media makes a few loud noises about the She Cranes [the national netball team]. The other trouble is that ladies do not support each other sufficiently. For example, you don’t locate many ladies watching girls’ rugby video games, yet many watch men’s video games. But the biggest project is terrible funding. We’d be a long way if girls’ sports activities receive a good enough budget.
We need deliberate funding to nurture ladies right from primary school. Still, many number-one colleges nowadays forget about sports [which denies our children a sporting chance at their formative age]. However, many elite girls at the club level are willing to symbolize their u. S. But that itself glaringly wishes extreme investment in instruction phrases, which we lack. We want leaders who are passionate about ladies doing sports. Otherwise, it is not going everywhere if you most effectively care about men. After all, girls’ groups were more successful than men’s. And can a Ugandan sportswoman be a complete lady?
Why no longer? I’m a wife, a mother, a basketballer, an entrepreneur, a version, a dancer, a logo ambassador, and many others. All girls have been born to be full women. We are all top-notch girls… It is just that we reduce ourselves short…Each woman can be a complete lady because we had been born that way. Patricia Apolot: boxer, kickboxer The biggest challenge is that fellow ladies who have made it to the top have not helped our motive. They are not the simplest politicians; however, the ladies with the maximum success throughout all sectors are not representing us properly. They depart us to war on our own, and at the top of the day, we are being taken advantage of by men. You see, earlier than a person facilitates a lady, he expects something in return.
Most of the village girls I’m bringing into recreation inform me, “a man brought me from the village to the city promising me an activity. But, to achieve this, he wanted to make his wife. When I resisted, he asked me, ‘I’m your relative? Go returned.’ The other project is that Uganda doesn’t comprehend sportswomen; no matter how much we conflict, no one cares. The only popularity comes in [Uspa] awards, which don’t include money. But the award doesn’t position food at the desk. Then, demoralizing comments. Whenever you try to do something, a few humans name it a ‘display off,’ while others say ‘it’s her boyfriend supporting her.’
And they make fun of you while you fall, and no one will pick your hand up. Generally, I fail to recognize what society, in reality, wishes us. And can a Ugandan sportswoman be a full female? Why not now? We most effectively want the proper guide. I strongly trust that any Ugandan sportswoman can succeed in any subject or issue of existence. Peninnah Kabenge (sports activities administrator): I characterize most demanding situations as cultural stereotypes. Women have constantly been desired in the kitchen, but we will contribute much to all components, including sports activities.
That’s why the numbers are still low on the fields of play directors, officers, and so on. Due to that marginalizing cultural mentality, even ladies who strive for sports activities face the hassle of lack of safe space. For example, if a lady’s team and a boys’ crew apply for equal facilities simultaneously, the boys’ crew will be favored regarding the ladies’ fees. Most sports activity centers don’t have special converting rooms for women; some women have dropped out complaining about coaches who abuse them, and so on. The press also focuses more on guys’ sports activities. For a female’s story to retake the web page, the lady must have achieved four times the man’s. And can a Ugandan sportswoman be a complete woman?