Sports key to empowering Kenyan women

NAIROBI: At the conclusion of his visit to the country last year, US President Barack Obama called on Kenyans to stop discrimination against women. In response to Obama’s call and in line with the International Women’s Day theme of committing to action that accelerates gender parity, we must now identify and pursue clear pathways leading to this goal. Such measures are vital, not only to improve the daily lives of half our population, but also, as Obama reminded us, to enhance Kenya’s competitive strength in a globalised economy — for the benefit of men and women.

As the director at MTG, an organisation that promotes football for girls, I was delighted at the president’s fortuitous use of a sports metaphor to drive home his message about girls’ and women’s rights: “Imagine if you have a team and don’t let half of the team play. That’s stupid. That makes no sense.” For me and my colleagues at MTG, however, sport is more than an apt metaphor; it is the practical means by which thousands of girls are today breaking down barriers to the realisation of their potential.