Women sports leaders and the society have been urged to use sports to empower girls and women to realize their potential and take over leadership roles.
International Inspiration Women’s Leadership Programme in Tanzania chairperson Irene Mwasanga made the call on Tuesday at an International Inspiration seminar to women sports leaders being held at the British Council in Dar es Salaam.
Thirty leaders from five regions — from Mwanza, Zanzibar, Ruvuma, Arusha and Dar es Salaam – are taking part in the three-day seminar sponsored by the International Inspiration under the British Council which ends today. Mwasanga said that sports can be used as a key aspect in building girls and women confidence in leadership roles and tackle gender disparities.
“We need to inspire girls and women to be involved in sports and use it to develop a growing awareness of their rights and ability to realize those rights both for them and others,” she said. “My appeal to my fellow sports leaders and society is to work together and make it possible.
“We only need to make our intention clear and ready to help each other. It begins with individual willingness; every one in her position has a role to play to help another, please jealous does not help one to prosper.”
Mwasanga also urged sports leaders to build good relationship with players and their parents and relatives in order to work as a team in protecting them. “We also need to be honesty and maintain integrity so as to attract others,” she said. She noted that a leader has to be a good ambassador for players’ parents and relatives so as to make her job respected.
“We can change things which can not teach good manner to other people’s children,” Mwasanga said. “In the past things were so different, children belonged to the society, but we’ve entered a new era where globalization is not easy for one to correct them when they go wrong,” she said.
She insisted that individuals still have an obligation to collect them and make them good daughters. She appealed to women not to be discouraged by obstacles and always to find good solutions for problems. This is the second seminar for participants who have been selected due to their commitment in sports development.
By MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News
