Promoting access to sports opportunities for women in Sandton
Unorthodox Group is dedicated to empowering women’s sports in South Africa and is focused on levelling the playing field to ensure that girls and women have equal opportunities in sports.
The Unorthodox Group, based in Sandton, hosted a women’s symposium aimed at championing the power of women’s voices in driving positive change in sports.
The symposium was held at the Discovery Building in Sandton on April 18, following the recent celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8.
The event had different discussions led by industry experts and facilitated by renowned sports personalities.
The main aim of the event was to focus on creating awareness around the value chain of sports and opportunities available to women and to also support the South African Women’s Hockey Team’s Olympic aspirations.
According to the MC of the event, Tumi Nkgapele, in recent times, South Africa’s professional women’s teams have done well at different levels of competition in different disciplines.
“This success has signalled the need for sports enthusiasts to advocate for equal access to opportunity when it comes to funding for women’s sports.”
She added that the main objective of the gathering is to use the discussions around sports and the advancement of women in sports as a way to gather funds and assist the women’s national hockey team in achieving their dream of going to the Olympics and winning the coveted gold medal.”
Nkgapele highlighted that the objective will be achieved by redirecting sponsors’ funds and other stakeholders’ contributions to the team’s crowd-funding platform.
Unorthodox Group CEO Sibabalwe Sesmani said, “Unequal pay and a lack of both investment and access to opportunities are two of the biggest challenges facing women’s sports. We at Unorthodox Group always strive to assist in this plight, and the symposium is our contribution to the ecosystem of women in sports.”
Sesmani elaborated that they hope to see a change in their lifetime, a change that brings equality in sports, but for now, they will lead with the mantra, “Be the change you want to see.”
She went on to elaborate that this women’s symposium will provide an opportunity for leaders in different sporting codes to reflect on how they have achieved their success and give practical, useful advice that can help further women’s careers in sports as they explore the value chain of sports.
As strong supporters of female sports, Discovery is in partnership with Unorthodox Group to host the symposium to give women a voice on how their disciplines could be improved.
Discovery representative, Dr Mosima Mabunda, said, “We are passionate about improving people’s health and support both grassroots and professional sportswomen to inspire and develop outstanding female athletes.”
Details: For the Women’s Hockey Team Crowdfunding, info@unorthodox-group.com
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