Elina Shiveka will vie for the treasurer post.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 4 – Women in various Kenyan federations have been challenged to go for top seats following a successful inaugural symposium on Women, Sport and Development held in Nairobi on Monday.
Speaking during the event that was graced by Football Kenya Federation vice president Doris Petra, her counterpart from Kenya Volleyball Federation Martin Makokha urged men who have dominated in the federations to mentor more women.
“As men dominating this industry we must motivate women and encourage them to take up leadership in sports if we really mean in Women and Sports Development. On the flip side women should come out, believe in your selves and fight for this positions as these men here might not give out these positions on a silver platter,” Makokha urged.
IAAF ambassador Tegla Loroupe addressing the media at the Kampla IAAF World Cross Country press conference on 25th, March, 2017.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
While echoing the sentiments of Makokha, athletics legendary Tegla Loroupe called for equality, claiming that women are discriminated in most federations.
“As women we should believe in ourselves, federations should come up with mechanism where we are able to have more women referees, coaches and managers so that we start from somewhere. To our brothers dominating these federations, let’s be our sister’s keeper and motive us to grow just as you would motivate your daughter, sister or mother,” Loroupe, a former world marathon record holder pleaded.
“I do not see why we should pay a man running the same race as a woman in the same competition differently; we should try and be balanced in rewarding the athletes and other sportswomen. Being a woman in sports is not that easy and Petra (Doris) can attest to it,’’ Loroupe added.
Meanwhile, Petra hopes more will be done for women to be at par with men in sport. She lauded what they have been able to do as FKF in terms of sports women development.
“As a federation we took a bold step and currently our Under-20 team is headed by a woman her assistant is also a woman and you have all seen what they have been able to do out there in Jordan and that’s a clear indication that women can lead if given opportunity but we must fight for those opportunities,’’ Petra declared.
