A message from Vince van der Bijl – project leader of the MCC Masi 750 Sports Club at Ukhyano Primary School.

The attached video demonstrates gender stereo typing as it is currently experienced and is designed to expand our views on gender equality and redress the imbalance worldwide.

The MCC Masi 750 Sports Club with Ukhyano Primary School has in 2017 broadened the participation of girls in after school sport and competition – cricket, cycling and soccer have been added to netball as sports choices available for girls. This is a very exciting shift as is the increasing numbers of female staff offering to coach both cricket and cycling.

Ukhanyo School sports coach, Nceba Jonas, in discussing the importance of female coaches mentioned that to have a female coach encourages the sporting girls to discuss their issues that they might otherwise not discuss with a male coach. This is such a positive aspect of increased female coaches to support the work done by netball and PE coaches, Feziwe Payi and Pam Ncwgama.

The Ukhyano soccer team in December 2017 won the final in the Sporting Chance street soccer competition had two girls in the team of six. This was standard in all the 12 soccer and cricket teams selected for the street competition. This allowed new talent amongst the girls to be uncovered and respect for the ability of the girls was palpable. The message that emerged was that girls can make a great impact on sport at the school – not just in netball. They can with the boys make Ukhyano a superb sports school.

The Commission of Gender Equality (GE) has specifically recommended that GE be taught in SA schools starting from early childhood development. It states that this is key to enriching our democracy and will ensure that girls and young women are given the confidence to stand up for what they believe, be given equal opportunity in all areas and then able to develop the strength to walk their individual chosen road into the future.

We hope that sport will be just one of the enablers that develops feelings of self-worth in young girls; the inner belief that they can follow their dreams wherever they wish to advance towards. The teaching of gender equality through life skills learning in sport can achieve so much.

Enjoy the video as it brings home the view of stereotyping that is prevalent today world wide – in America and Europe as in Africa.

Lets make a difference and we hope that the 750 Club will continue to offer sport choices to boys and girls alike and enrich their lives and their future.