ASA conducts gender workshop, a step towards spreading gender equality through sports

Realising the importance of sensitisation and discussion on the need of gender related issues, a one-day gender workshop was organised in two batches on 14 and 15 October 2017 for grassroots and academy coaches at Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA). 64 participants took part in this workshop, which was conducted by Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF) in collaboration with Pro Sport Development (PSD).

The Martha Farrell Foundation supports practical interventions which are committed to achieving a gender-just society, by working with youth on gender issues, mainstreaming gender within organisations and raising awareness on sexual harassment at the workplace.

The workshop held for ASA coaches helped them to deliberate and understand gender specific issues, especially within their centres, through various engaging activities. The ‘ice breaker’ started with assessing gender stereotypes commonly prevalent through various group activities like visualising, drawing and other creative mediums – realising that gender stereotypes are rooted in each one’s culture. Moreover, the coaches then discussed specific issues that they faced in increasing the participation of girls, and how these can be overcome by approaching issues through a ‘gender lens’. “The coaches have a great role to play as mentors in terms of providing a safe environment to children to participate in sports,” says Nanditha Bhatt from MFF, who led the gender workshop.

“It was a learning experience attending the workshop; the sessions included aspects on giving equal emphasis to boys and girls while coaching,” says B. Mounika , a football coach who is looking forward to taking the learning outcomes of the workshop to increase girls’ participation at Atmakur, Anantapur. “Through this workshop we understood the problems and issues girls face and how to encourage them to overcome these challenges.”

The workshop was a useful tool to bring the grassroots coaches together to understand the possible challenges for low participation of girls in sports, and discuss potential solutions. Such workshops will help in realising the gender-based stereotypes and notions which have been prevalent in society for a long time, thereby helping the coaches’ work towards healthy gender-related relations and identity, especially within their programmes.

Anantapur Sports Academy: http://anantapursportsacademy.in/

Pro Sport Development : http://prosportdev.in/

Martha Farell Foundation: http://www.marthafarrellfoundation.org/