Society and gender equity in sport: Analysis from a South African perspective

Abstract

Despite the global trend towards the empowerment of women, policies and practices regarding gender equity, South African women and girls still face multiple challenges in their quest for ideological and structural reform in various sport sectors. Different stakeholders associated with the sport for development (SfD) field, drive a social transformation agenda in which civic society organisations and actors play meaningful roles. This study aims to identify and discuss multiple barriers faced by women and girls within the SfD sector against complex socio-economic and political realities. African feminism underpins a human rights policy framework that finds expression in a social constructivist approach. Document analysis data of global and national policies and strategic plans, in addition to those of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) responsible for the delivery of sport for development programmes, triangulate with narrative data collected through interviews with 18 NGO representatives and eight gender activists or leaders in the field. The main findings report on patriarchal and cultural issues, the lack of policy implementation, and hegemonic structures and practices where engendered spaces (private versus public) reflect unequal power relations and differential access to resources inclusive of leadership opportunities. Such insights should feature as an agenda for social change, activism as well as contribute to reciprocal agency between donor and implementing partner in SfD initiatives.

Keywords: Gender equity, ideology, sport for development, non-government organisations.