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THE sensitive subject around the equal treatment of women in sport was raised again this week during debate in the National Assembly.

This is a subject that has been discussed time and again at different fora. Surprisingly, it has mostly been talk show and no corresponding action on the ground to rectify whatever anomalies are found in this sector.

From a historical and cultural perspective, it is a fact that the playing ground has not been level for the girl child and women in administration. This is despite the varying degrees of success scored by girls and women over the years.

In some instances, they have even performed better than some of their male counterparts.

Honourable Members of Parliament, Tatenda Mavetera and Temba Mliswa  raised some critical points on the issue during the discussion of the report made by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation on the state of football in this country.

Football, as the most popular sport in the country, has in most cases been used as a yardstick to measure the equality, or lack of it, and the progress made in terms of acknowledging female athletes and officials.

Sadly, the female footballers still lag behind in terms of getting equal treatment despite having scaled heights that no men’s team has ever achieved in football, by playing at such a grand stage as the Olympic Games in 2016.  

Even then, it was difficult to comprehend that after putting the nation on the world map, they still got insults upon their return home from Brazil where the Olympics had taken place.

ZIFA, who are the custodians of the game in Zimbabwe, grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons after they gave the girls US$5 bus fares to go back to their homes.

Even their camping has remained deplorable.

They have been made to put up with the poor conditions at the ZIFA Village while the men’s teams are booked in four or five star hotels.

This has been the norm, 42 years after Independence, yet the girls still go out of their way to represent their motherland with all they have. Given much support, they could do more.

Honourable Mavetera captured this debate well when she said: “I think there was some time that we had to come into this House and debate about how women are treated when it comes to football.

“There is a great discrepancy when it comes to the treatment of women soccer players. You will realise that there was an outcry at one point in time when we realised that the women were sleeping at schools yet when it comes to the men when they are in camp, they are even going to the hotels and they are given very high per diems.

“So, if ever we need to be very serious about the state of football here in Zimbabwe, we need to make sure that we treat the females and the males equally.

“It is not fair for us as a country to be given preferential treatment because they are men.  I believe that it is quite important for us to also treat the females the same way that we treat the males.

“I think when you look at this issue, we realise that when the females go outside, they do quite extensible very well but when it comes to the men, they do not perform very well yet they are given all this capacity.”

We saw the worst side of our local football administrators’ misogynic attitude towards women when the world football organisation, FIFA, cracked the whip by fining heavily and suspending former referees’ secretary Obert Zhoya for five years over sexual harassment of female referees.  

FIFA took the stance when the local football administration was busy trying to sweep the allegations under the carpet. This was just a tip of the ice-berg on the abuses perpetrated against female athletes but up to now, no action has been taken locally against the perpetrators. 

The lack of support for female athletes has not been limited only to football. Honourable Mliswa raised the sad story of Monalisa Sibanda, who is the current International Boxing Association (WIBA) intercontinental welterweight champion.

Honourable Mliswa said Sibanda was being sabotaged left right and centre in pursuance of the invitation she received from President Mnangagwa, who indicated he wanted to host her following her successes. The President has done that with many athletes to inspire them to do more.

No male athlete has ever complained for being blocked to visit the State House at the behest of the President. The Charles Manyuchis, the Wilfred Mashayas, Tino Kadeweres, Marvelous Nakambas, and all, have been hosted by the President without such drama.

Then comes the sad story of Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire, who has been finding it difficult to host a title defence match against Mexican challenger Zulina Munoz.

The bout had to be postponed twice because of lack of sponsorship. This is a lady who has fought against odds to become the interim World Boxing Council super-bantamweight title after defeating the prominent Zambian fighter Catherine Phiri.

Thankfully, the Government stepped in when everyone was folding their hands. Without the Government intervention, Chiwandire could have easily been stripped of the title because she had no resources.

Fortunately, the current Minister responsible for the sports portfolio is a woman, Kirsty Coventry. We hope giant strides, towards the recognition of women athletes and officials, will have been made before the end of her tenure because being a woman, we presume she understands better what the female athletes go through.