Toward a society where women enjoy sports as a matter of course! Tanzania Women’s Athletic Meet “Ladies First” Held for the First Time in Three Years

Toward a society where women enjoy sports as a matter of course! Tanzania Women’s Athletic Meet “Ladies First” Held for the First Time in Three Years

The fourth Ladies First women’s track and field meet was held this January at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city. Approximately 210 female athletes from Japan competed in nine events, including track events. April 6 was the “International Day of Sports for Development and Peace” designated by the United Nations. We take this opportunity to look back on this event.

In Tanzania, there is a strong belief that sports are for men, and opportunities for women to engage in sports have been limited. In order to change this environment and mindset, Juma Ikanga, a former marathoner from Tanzania, initiated the Ladies First program, which was launched in 2017 by JICA and the Tanzania National Sports Council with the aim of improving the social status and empowering women through sports, as well as discovering and fostering athletes. It is the first women’s track and field event in the country.

This year’s competition, held for the first time in three years after a hiatus due to the Corona disaster since 2008, saw the participation of twice as many athletes as in the first competition. Many of the athletes had been competing before the Corona disaster, and some had returned to competition after giving birth. The event was a great success, and one could sense that women’s participation in sports has taken root.

Side events on gender equality and women’s empowerment were also held at the competition site. On the day before the competition, an empowerment workshop for athletes was held. On the day of the event, citizens participated in jogging and aerobics, and at the booth area, health checks, instruction on how to use sanitary products, and awareness-raising on violence prevention against women and children were held. In addition, educational booklets on preventing sexual assault and young pregnancy were distributed to children in the audience to convey the importance of protecting oneself.

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© Source JICA