Filbert Bayi, TOC secretary general speaks at a past event. PHOTO | FILE
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As women globally lag behind men in sports participation, the TOC secretary general has said that Tanzania, like other countries, has to seriously promote gender equality in sports participation and leadership.
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) has called upon sports bodies in the country to increase the number of female athletes to go inline with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) directive.
As women globally lag behind men in sports participation, the TOC secretary general has said that Tanzania, like other countries, has to seriously promote gender equality in sports participation and leadership.
Speaking while closing the Anoca Zone V Women and Sports Forum at Beach Comber Hotel and Resort in Dar es Salaam, Bayi, who is a former legend in athletics hindered women to participate in sports.
“We need to increase the number of women, not only in the field of sports, but leadership too,” noted Bayi. He said the IOC, after realising that the number of women in major events like Olympics was globally small decided to embark on a 2020 vision to increase it by 50 percent.
“We are still struggling to increase the number, the percentage number of women who take part in sports globally is 20, with five years to go to 2020, we are yet to reach half way,” said Bayi.
He said more than 100 countries will meet in Washington DC towards the end of this month with the main agenda of 2020 equal participation (50-50) of men and women.
Bayi, who is still the 1500m Commonwealth Games record holder despite hanging his shoes about two decades ago, hailed the chairperson of Anoca Zone Five Women and Sports Commission, Irine Mwasanga, for organising the first ever forum in the country.
He said the number of women has gradually been improving , but more efforts were required to make it a success. Mwasanga said that the two-day forum, which was sponsored by the Olympic Solidarity, has come up with about 12 resolutions.
Among the resolutions was for all member states to organise women’s sport events whenever the global Women’s Day is marked.
The seven-country resolution also reiterated the need to convince girls to take part in sports.
Among other resolutions, was the need to partner with the media, government and other institutions.
The forum brought together participants from Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and hosts Tanzania while Egypt, Rwanda and Ethiopia shied away.
Since the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, where 22 women out of 997 athletes participated in 5 sports, the involvement of women in the Olympic Movement at all levels has changed gradually.
