Minister wasted chance to send gender parity message

Mqondisi Dube | Monday August 14, 2023 15:55

However, given an opportunity to show his undoubted commitment to gender equality and equity, the Minister decided to go for an all male list in picking the Minister's Award recipients.

Tebogo Letsile joined departed heroes, Major David Bright, Pio Paul and Ibrahim Ahmed as the recipients of the Minister's Special Award during the Botswana National Sport Awards on Saturday. Not that by picking an all male line-up means the Minister is anti-gender equality, but it does not score him well with gender activists and all other progressive forces.

The Minister was under no duress to pick a woman but there was going to be everything commendable had he included more women than men in his list. This is at a time when there is a shift towards women empowerment to ensure they rightly occupy the same space as men. By coming up with a male only list, the Minister is, in some way perpetuating enduring stereotypes, which wrongly places men at a higher pedestal compared to their women counterparts. Sport is moving towards a move encompassing and inclusive approach, as a way to encourage the girl-child to participate in a field that has largely been a preserve for men.

However, small as it might appear, the move by the Minister would suggest that sport remains predominantly a male only arena. This is contrary to a new wave of discourse where proponents are battling to change the negative narrative and move more towards the middle road. Progressionists are attempting to move from a gendered sport environment which has, since time immemorial, placed men miles ahead of women. Some countries like the United States are pushing ahead with progressive reforms or policies that have seen equal pay for both sports men and women.

It is now a game of equals, and in the 21st century it must not be acceptable to have a long list of four recipients, picked not by a Minister of Gender, to be all male. Just like a footballer who finds him/herself unmarked in the box, the Mminister had all the time and space to pick a balanced list. He was not under duress, I presume. If he was, then he could have rejected the list to at least include two women. You can close your eye and in a split of a second, come up with a name of an outstanding woman deserving of the Minister's recognition.

But all hope is not lost as I assume that Rakgare is a listening, liberal 21st century Minister who is not blind to ever changing gender realities. He will listen to his conscience over the next 12 months, and hopefully, will come up with an all female list next year. It is never too late to continue righting the wrongs.