SAFA President says the South African Football Association has taken a leading role in making sure that there was equity in football participation between men and women.
SAFA President says the South African Football Association has taken a leading role in making sure that there was equity in football participation between men and women.
In a message on the 16 Days of Activism whose aim is wiping out gender violence against women and girls and in the same breath discuss challenges and opportunities of women, SAFA’s Dr Danny Jordaan said his body would continue to push for women rights and equal opportunities.
“In the past few years, SAFA has become one of the leading organisations to have championed the rights of women and has created platforms for equal opportunities. There is however, a long way to go but we will not relent on this mission of women emancipation,” he said.
The 16 Days of Activism is a civil society initiative aimed at complete prevention and elimination of violence against women and the campaign is mainly aimed at increasing global awareness. It aims to increase women participation and take a lead in societal leadership.
“We have increased resources within women participation and will continue to do so. The success of Banyana Banyana who qualified for the Olympics and are now in the semi-finals of the ongoing 2016 CAF African Women’s Cup of Nations in Cameroon is not by chance.
We have also made a resolution that all our women national teams must be coached and mentored by fellow women as a way to increase women participation in all football activities.
In our constitution, we have made provisions that will automatically increase leadership by women among our LFAs, Regions and Provinces. As a result, we have our first Regional President in Ms Emma Hendricks, now President of Siyanda Region in the Northern Cape” he said.
The SAFA President said currently SAFA had three of its NEC members playing a leading role at the AWCON in Cameroon – Nomsa Mahlangu, Natasha Tsichlas and Ria Ledwaba in addition to match officials at the tournament.