Women in sports: More joining, but low retention levels

Earlier this week, renowned female footballer Hasifah Nassuna shared a picture from 2016.

It was the 18-man team that represented Uganda in a friendly with Kenya as Fufa got ready to rebrand the national team from She Kobs to Crested Cranes. 

Currently 10 of those players are active with just maybe seven still having a chance to represent the national team. These girls are some light years away from clocking 30!

Recently, the national football league, the Fufa Women Super League, had to be postponed because the U-20 national team was in camp and the coach was not willing to release players back to their clubs. 

Granted most of the teams in the league are school-based so would naturally rely on girls of school-going age but even the ‘stand-alone’ clubs had most of their best players in the Queen Cranes camp.

The March 2-3 Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) League One, attracted 110 girls, just nine of those swam in the 17 and over category.

The 200m freestyle in the 17 and over age group attracted seven girls as compared to 15 boys. The 100m individual medley (IM) ratio was 9:17, while the 50m backstroke also had seven girls as compared to 17 boys. The 100m breaststroke had 19 boys. 

When the female swimmers in this current 17 and over age group were in the 11-12 age group in 2017, their numbers in a similar league at the time were at 24 individuals. At the weekend, there were 16 girls in the 200m free as compared to 22 boys, 31 took part in the 100m IM equaling the number of boys while 32 were in the 50 back – two less than the boys and 28 in the 100m breaststroke – also two less than the boys.

At this young age, the field is not only leveled in terms of participation numbers for both genders but there is almost no big significance in performance. In fact in timed sports like swimming, it is not surprising to find girls in lower age groups like 10 and under plus 11-12 making better times than their male counterparts. 

“Before the onset of puberty, male and female youth athletes appear to have no significant difference in their athletic performance at certain ages,” a 2012 study by two researchers, Joel M. Stager of Indiana University and Andrew C. Cornett of Eastern Michigan University, suggested.

The study examined data from USA Swimming of the best 50-yard freestyle performances for 1,193,362 male and female athletes, ages 6-19, from 2005-2010. “The marked acceleration in height, weight, and strength in boys beginning around 13 years magnifies the relatively small preadolescent sex differences.”

Undocumented reasons

We did not find any research that suggests that girls start to drop out when they realize they are no longer faster than boys. It would also seem a far fetched parameter to look at as boys and girls compete separately but what is clear is that Uganda is making strides in terms of participation of girls in sport at lower ages. But as they grow older, the numbers dramatically fall. 

Lillian Mpabulungi, a mother to swimmers and a veteran volleyball player with KAVC describes the participation of women in sports; both in the playing arenas and administration as “wanting”.

“Of course with; affirmative action as a Constitutional right, the deliberate efforts from Equal Opportunities Commission and activists, awareness on gender equality, challenging of gender and social norms, we have been reminded of the abilities of girls and women to beat odds.

And for that we want to join the rest of the world to commemorate the International Women's Day. We want to congratulate every woman and girl who has achieved something - physically, mentally, socially, economically and politically, legally, technologically and environmentally.

But much as we are proud of progress, which is more pronounced in the political erena with 60 percent cabinet ministers, it is not the same in sports. Participation of girls and women in sports is wanting with limited documentation of the underlying causes and action to change the status quo,” says Mpabulungi, who for the last one year has taken interest in observing and conducting informal interviews with leaders, coaches, active players, veterans, media and parents in volleyball, athletics, rugby, swimming, badminton, football and squash among others.

“Physical changes especially puberty and related consequences. Many girls drop up because of menstrual hygiene related issues; like having to miss training or failing to cope up.

There are also some social related matters that come as a result of limited support networks, especially from parents and peers. Gender based violence issues like physical, emotional and sexual abuse are a hindrance too. Many cases go unreported and with no support. In the end many girls and women lose interest and give up the sports.

Of course this is worsened by the limited number of sports psychologists and doctors. The few we have are overwhelmed with the reported cases,” Mpabulungi shares from her research.

Women in leadership
As far as leadership is concerned, there first of all hardly any commissions for women on the executives of most federations. In fact policies to safeguard women and children are hardly heard of.

“How many women do we have in sports leadership at national level like National Council of Sports (NCS), federations, coaching? Why do we have few women in leadership? What can we do to interest them in leadership? Why do girls drop out of sports from thirteen yet their counterparts the boys are just increasing in number and competitions?” she rhetorically asks. 

Out of the 50 federations recognized in the new sports law, only five are headed by women. The Minister of Education and Sports and First Lady Janet Museveni is at the helm of the sector.

Beatrice Ayikoru is general secretary at Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) while the NCS board of seven has three women.

“In the last five years, we have seen women progressively joining coaching,” Mpabulungi says. Ironically, none of the 10 teams in the top women’s football league is coached by women.

Technical ability
 

However some like Shilla Omuriwe Buyungo (volleyball), Olivia Nalwadda (swimming), Fahaby Kitimbo, Christine Wanyana – who is in the aforementioned photo that Nassuna shared (football), Regina Owarage (rugby) have made strides and got themselves in influential positions with results to be proud of.

“It is probably still one woman to 10 men, sometimes, one woman to 30 men depending on the sport. We appreciate these women for changing the status quo but we need more taking on these roles and refereeing.

Interestingly, one veteran sportsman remarked that women are good referees because they pay attention to details. Another person indicated that refereeing is easier than coaching for women because it is not a full time job,” Mpabulungi shares.

For those who have cracked the code and laboured on, the trick is in finding the impact of their service to be bigger than themselves.

“Being a female coach is unique because it is empowering. You become a mother, guide, counselor, advisor, mentor, lobbyist, confidant, advocate, parent, teacher and learner for and with your players all at the same time. The players look up to you when things are not going well to provide the answers.

It is tough and challenging but once you earn the respect of your players, it becomes surmountable. You have to seek continuous learning opportunities to improve your technical knowledge, skills and attitudes. Personally, I also choose positivity all day everyday because your players tend to mirror behaviors of their coach. Oftentimes you are their role model,” Owarage shares.

Top Women In Sport

Minister of Education and Sports: Janet Museveni

NCS Board: Cecilia Anyakoit, Jacqueline Basemera, Gloria Evelyn Piloya

Federation presidents: Harriet Aya (gymnastics), Sheila Agonzibwa (handball), Annet Nakamya (badminton), Juddy Ruth Alberto (fencing), Anne Mungoma (shooting).