Challenges in a Football Crazed Country

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Challenges are something that every athlete overcomes in his or her own way. Female athletes are experts in challenges and finding innovative ways to conquer them, this is the case universally. But what about the added difficulty of living in a developing country, with a strict gender roles coupled with being a woman athlete? This is the case in South Africa, a country obsessed with football but almost completely unaware of their women’s national team.

Hosting the 2010 World Cup only intensified the country’s passion for the beautiful game, and their national men’s team Bafana Bafana, but what about the women’s national team Banyana Banyana?

Girls & Football SA had the chance to speak with members from the women’s national team as we created “Can I Kick It? The untold story of women’s football in South Africa”. The documentary highlights the struggles these women face and includes interviews with current team members, coaching staff and the next generation of female football players.

As the young women talk about their experiences, the audience comes to understand the obstacles they faced as female athletes and the complexity of gender inequality in South Africa, both on and off the field. Discussions on issues such as stigmatization of female players and how traditional roles still play a large part in South African society helped to show the inherent challenges these women face.

As Kylie-Ann Louw explained, “…coming from South Africa it was always seen that the woman was less than the man. And that has only recently started to change. But before, even career wise and anything, the women is seen as less than the man, she is not supposed to work, she is supposed to stay at home and clean house and cook.”

During our interviews, Eudy Simelane, a late member of Banyana Banyana who was murdered in 2008 was remembered and the issues of safety and the dangers facing women athletes were a topic of discussion. Coaching staff recalls stories of players who would show up for training camp injured and could not afford health care, sometimes hungry or without transportation money even to get home. 

Coaches and players identify serious problems such as a lack of resources as a result so few people advocating for the establishment of women’s teams and leagues. As a consequence there is a lack of female coaches and refereeing staff. A unanimous need that every player and coach passionately identified was for leagues to be established for young girls to play in to develop skills that can be used off the field as well as on. Fran Hilton-Smith explains, “We don’t have girls leagues in the schools, and that is the nursery for girls football.”

These inspiring women continue to play soccer for numerous reasons, passion, opportunity, dedication and a dream for a better life. They overcome countless challenges and are truly the role models girls in this country need.

To Support Girls & Football SA check them out on Globalgiving.org

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/girls-and-football-south-africa-help-us-score/

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• Sexism

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There is 1 comment on this post. Join the discussion!

Jodi Murphy says:

It's amazing how much a passion and love for what you do can carry you through. These women are met with roadblocks at every turn and still they love to play. They are real sports role models, not just for girls, but for anyone who plays because they love it.

Friday, November 11, 2011 at 2:45pm EST

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