Women's Day: 5 Women In Sports Voice Their Aspirations For Change In India's Sports Landscape

Women in sports have been making remarkable strides across the country but little are their achievements celebrated. In a move to address the issue of gender inequality in sports, challenge the stereotypes, and amplify their voices and successes, we have brought to you our new series 'Jazzba', a celebration of women in sports who are defying odds one day at a time.

Each tale in this series is crafted after intimate conversations with women across sports and interestingly while speaking to some lesser-known champions, we discovered that there is a shared desire for change. This women's day, we thought of highlighting the changes Indian women in sports long for in the coming days.

Women In Sports Want Equal Opportunities

Gender bias, limited investment in women's sports, lack of representation, societal norms, religious barriers, and pay discrepancies are some common factors that contribute to the lack of equal opportunities for women in sports.

Baranica Elangovan, Pole Vault Athlete and member of the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC (High-Performance Center)said, “As a female athlete, what I want is respect, equal opportunities, and a level playing field. It is also pivotal to have safe training environments as well as adopting the best hygiene practices. In our daily lives, women athletes have to fight various stereotypes and biases. When we conquer those, we inspire more women to take up sports. Women in sports and their voices need to be amplified more as that is what would elevate their standing and take sports to greater heights. Reliance Foundation is making a difference in these areas by creating an inclusive and equitable environment.”

Women In Sports Want Support

Indian Table Tennis Player, Manika Batraspeaking of women in sports said, “First and foremost, there should be greater support. Over the years, support towards women in sports has improved but there’s still scope for improvement. For young athletes, family support is very important, especially for young girls.”

Parental support plays a key role in making women a part of the sports world. Due to cultural and societal norms, safety concerns, and lack of awareness, a lot of parents hesitate to support their girls in stepping into the world of sports. Following this, many girls are discouraged from pursuing their dreams, leading to reduced participation of women in sports.

Women In Sports Want Recognition

As compared to men's sports, women's sports receive less coverage and attention which results in lower visibility and recognition for women in sports. The consequences of this are reduced participation, support, and inequality.

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Isha Negi, Heptathlon, Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC (High-Performance Center) said, “As a sportswoman, I believe in getting recognised, respected, and having equal opportunities as men. We want our successes celebrated, our skills noticed, and our efforts valued. We want respect, recognition, and equal chances.”

Women In Sports Want Better Bathrooms

“We also want better bathrooms, education, and fair treatment. Having clean and safe places to train and compete is important. We need more focus on hygiene & cleanliness. Education helps us make smart choices about our health and careers. We want everyone to feel included and be treated fairly. We need to speak up for clean places, education, and fair play,” added Negi.

You might be surprised to know that many women in sports don't even have access to a fundamental human need like a clean and safe restroom facility. This puts our female athletes at health risk and puts a lack of dignity and gender inequality in the spotlight.

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Women In Sports Want Equal Response From The Audience

Sports historically has been a male-dominated arena and even with women from across the country participating in various sports, they haven't been able to receive equal response from the audience all these years. Historical bias, societal expectations, unequal investment, and limited marketing.

“All I want to say is, women athletes should be given equal response from the audience. In terms of facilities as well, women should get trainers, opportunities, nutrition, etc,” said Karishma from Odisha India Gymnastics High Performance Center (HPC).

Women In Sports Want Gender Equality In Sports

Subhadra Sahoo, Sports Odisha, Football team in IWL (Indian Women's League) said, “Gender equality has always been a rallying cry for us. As a woman, I firmly believe it's imperative. While we've seen improvements in facilities, there's still progress to be made in certain areas. Personally, I aspire to be recognized as a prominent footballer. Looking ahead, my hope is for equal treatment of all athletes, regardless of gender, as they participate in the same game.”

With gender equality in sports, women will be able to compete based on their abilities and build a bias and stereotype-free environment for aspiring athletes. Don’t you think?

What are your thoughts about women's representation in the sports sphere in our country? Write to us on our social media handles and for more such stories, stay tuned to HerZindagi.com