mbulelo smpofu
Shingai Dhlamini, dhlaminishingi@gmail.com
PERSISTENT gender gaps in sports continue to be a major concern, as they negatively impact the participation, rewards, media coverage, and sponsorship opportunities available to women and girls.
Unfortunately, these issues highlight the ongoing challenges of gender inequality in the field of sports. This is especially alarming given the potential of sports to empower women, increase self-confidence, and foster independence.
Sports offer more than just physical exercise and excitement; they also provide a platform for developing a broad range of life skills, shaping character, and nurturing leadership qualities.
For young women, participating in athletic programmes is essential for empowerment, as it helps shape their self-perception while altering their interactions with the world around them.
Outside of the sporting world, ground-breaking women are shattering barriers by excelling in traditionally male-dominated fields.
The accomplishments of inspiring young women, including Nomasonto Shelter Moyo, Louis “Plumtree” Moyo, Sandisiwe Ncube, and Faith Sibanda, are celebrated, as they have proven that gender is not a limiting factor in their success.
Under the directorship of Lee “Sporo” Mangena, these trailblazers have excelled in the demanding profession of panel beating and spray painting.
Nomasonto, who attended Stanmore Primary School, Stanmore Secondary School, and Mpopoma High, joined Streetset FC in March last year.
She later left the team five months ago to join Bulawayo Galaxy. These women represent the countless young women in Zimbabwe and around the globe who are breaking barriers and proving that gender should never hold one back from achieving greatness.
“I play as a central midfielder. I was with Streetset from March last year, and then in July this year, I joined Bulawayo Galaxy,” Nomasonto shared.
Nomasonto said that Mangena, who was also her coach at Streetset, saw it fit to help empower the girls by introducing them to people who would teach them panel beating and spray painting.
“Mr Lee took it upon himself and saw it fit for the girl child to be empowered and got us people who taught us panel beating and spray painting. Through football, we also get to travel, see different places, meet different people, and learn different cultures,” said Nomasonto.
She also studied Information Communication and Technology (ICT) at Infohut in Njube. She says that playing football has taught her to deal with different characters because, in sports, communication is key.
“I am now able to handle different situations even at work, which I think is a great achievement for me because I used to find it hard to deal with people, but now I can,” she said.
She encouraged other girls and her teammates to recognise that there is life away from the football pitch and emphasised the need to learn life skills to make a living after retiring from football.
“My advice to young girls out there and to my teammates is that there’s a life outside football. Let’s try by all means to have necessary skills that will be handy once we retire. Be brave enough to face the world and its challenges. It’s not easy to rise from one level to another, but with patience and dedication, nothing is impossible,” said Nomasonto.
Faith started her panel beating training in February. The 18-year-old joined Streetset when she was 16 and still a pupil at Njube High School. She chose panel beating because it brings her joy and allows her to make a career outside football.
“I started early this year, and I’m happy to say if someone brings a car, I am able to work on it because of the experience I have gained. With this job, I can make a decent living even after I retire from football. I encourage other young girls to follow their dreams and to stay focused because things in life change once you become an adult and have to fend for all your needs,” said Faith.
Sandisiwe, a 19-year-old who plays for Ubuntu Queens and a former Streetset player, said most girls think that panel beating is for men only and it is a difficult job, whereas it is just as safe for women.
“I thought staying at home was unnecessary, so I decided to do panel beating to avoid being idle. I enjoy it, and I encourage other young girls to join us,” she said.
Louis (21), who is at Streetset FC and is passionately known as “Plumtree” on the field of play, said she believes everyone deserves an opportunity in life to choose their career path and not to focus on one successful dream but explore other avenues.
“I believe every child should be given equal opportunities, be it a girl or boy. I play football, but I am doing panel beating. People will discourage you, saying it’s not for girls, but I tell you there is no discrimination here,” she said.
Louis said she is grateful to have a coach who looks after their interests besides football.
“As a team, we are grateful to have a leader like Mr Lee because he has afforded us opportunities to invest in our futures beyond football. I encourage other girls who are in sports to invest in other careers so they can be able to survive in the world,” she said.
Mangena said the girls, like any other person, are deserving of opportunities that put them out in the world. They learn life skills when they play football, and need avenues where they can put those life skills to use.
