OPINION | Anroux Marais: We owe our women female sporting stars fair salaries
Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
With the growth of women’s sport and its increasing popularity, it is unacceptable that our female athletes do not always experience the same level of professionalism and rewards as men in their respective sports, she writes Anroux Marais.
2023 will be a record year for sporting events in the Western Cape, especially for our female athletes. The Western Cape Government is proud to offer residents of the province several major sporting events, particularly women’s events.
Already in the first two months of the year we have hosted the Netball Quad Series, the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup and the Women’s International Ice Hockey Championships in Cape Town. The high attendances at these events, particularly the record-breaking attendance at Newlands for the T20 Cricket World Cup final, are a testament to the fact that women’s sport is well supported and growing in our province and country.
With the growth of women’s sport and its increasing popularity, it is unacceptable that our female athletes do not always experience the same level of professionalism and rewards as men in their respective sports.
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Our Momentum Proteas have made history by becoming the first South African team to reach the finals of a World Cup, but this is not reflected in the amounts they receive or the amount of support they receive from the national sport department, arts and Culture and sponsors preserved. We risk losing our top players as they seek better pay from better-resourced franchises overseas.
inspiration and role model
A survey by Neilsen found that 84% of sports fans are interested in women’s sports and that at least two-thirds of the population are interested in at least one women’s sport. Female athletes serve as important inspiration and role models for many of our young women – seeing someone who looks like you and excels in their sporting code gives other young women the impetus to try. But even beyond competitive sport, young girls develop confidence in themselves and the strength of their bodies through sport. In a society shattered by violence against women and children, sport opens up many avenues for our young women.
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If we really want to fulfill the ideals and values of our Constitution, we must prioritize the equal treatment and professionalization of women’s sport. We should not have situations where female athletes cannot practice their sport full-time because they need to take a part-time job to earn a sustainable income. If we want to see our women compete on the international playing field and grow into the female sports stars of tomorrow, then we have a responsibility to help them get there. The Western Cape Government demonstrates our commitment by providing significant funding and support for women’s sporting events.
With a view to hosting the Netball World Championships in July this year, we must use this as an incentive to give our athletes a chance to compete. Our netball players need financial and other support to compete against teams from countries where women athletes have long had equal opportunities with their male counterparts. Until we can offer the same incentives to our women, we will find it difficult to compete on the global stage.
2023 is truly the year of women’s sport – we demand equal treatment and pay for our women in sport.
– Anroux Marais is the Minister for Culture and Sport of the Western Cape.
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