When Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, an Indian weightlifter, won the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Women’s 49 kg, it was a proud moment! A resident of Imphal, Manipur, Mira was always a strong child. “She used to lift a bundle of fire logs easily at the age of 12 as compared to her elder brother,” said her parents. Now, imagine if every parent could identify the potential of their wards at an early age and offer them apt guidance. This would enable them to nurture their talent right from the start, especially for girls.
India has been prolific in sports development programs over the last decade. Although Khelo India Youth Games have been established, the outreach is still low in tribal zones and further declines for women.
A patriarchal approach to sport in India has prevented adequate channels for establishing sports facilities for women, especially in rural areas. People have stereotyped industries. Teaching is a female-oriented industry and professional sports are male-oriented. The female anatomy is strong and capable of handling heavy sports regimes. However, many parents, be it tribal or urban, oppose the idea of sending girls out in the sun to play. Globally women remain underrepresented as coaches, administrators, and officials at all levels of competition. Women represent 49.5% of the global population yet are treated as a minority group in sports.
Sports culture in India until recently had limited female participation, especially in rural regions. The challenges for those wanting to make advances in this space include:
- fear of judgement,
- intimidation,
- Incompetence,
- poor self-confidence
- limited participation options, and
- safety considerations
Brijkumari Maravi, a 13-year-old girl from a tribal family now studies at a residential school set up by Mrida Education in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. When Mrida’s team visited Brijkumari’s house 2 years ago to gauge her interest to enrol in the school, Mrida’s football academy’s assistant coach Kushal Bhavedi documented his first impression of the girl as ‘unsure about her future prospects. Read more about her here. This fear of being in the dark and not being aware of their choices and alternatives will resonate with many tribal girls.
Socio-economic discrepancies have also hindered the empowerment of women. #empowerwoman is a trending hashtag almost every fortnight on social media websites. However, the fact remains that in many states of India the crime against women is a blaring truth. The lockdown 2020 saw a rise in cases of domestic violence in urban cities. Imagine the plight of women living in rural areas. Madhya Pradesh ranks fourth in crime against women. Maoist and Naxal activities trigger attacks that cause fear and uncertainty. Domestic violence and human trafficking are heinous crimes that trap many lives, especially tribal girls.
Sport has the power to change the world. It creates a disciplined community where everyone contributes. The girls and boys studying together can keep a tab on each other’s well-being. Stand up for each other if there is parental pressure. Guide them if they are on the wrong path. Inspire others to work for the betterment of the community or district or themselves.
The government schools in rural and tribal areas function with the motto of achieving literacy but employment-driven education is what rural India needs. The tribal parent who works on daily wages does not have the privilege of sending their kids to school for a decade. Their concern is especially strong when they know that their children will not have any clear method of earning money.
“Mandla is a region where children as young as 16 years old will not bat an eyelid before disappearing to Kerala for the harvesting season. There isn’t much for them to do here. They will come back and spend the money on a mobile phone. Imagine the reaction of the parents when we ask them to send their kids to play a sport.” says Priya, Founder of Mrida.
Organizations like Mrida, which work closely with tribal habitats in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, have managed to build a gurukul-like ecosystem. Through the Narmada Valley Avishkar Program and the Narmada Valley Football Academy, education or schooling is organized so that it will support employment pathways in vocational and sports fields as early as 21 years of age.
Narmada Valley Football Academy (NVFA) was established in 2017 by Mrida Education and Welfare Society. NVFA is one such registered football academy under the Madhya Pradesh Football Association. It provides sports excellence through planned stages of player development in the Mahakaushal region of Madhya Pradesh for the children of tribal communities situated in the province.
The cultural norms guiding women and girls’ participation are geared towards family priorities that place a heavy emphasis on studies and housework. The lack of infrastructure and programs that target female recruitment is another challenge in addition to the broader influence of male-dominated sport and societal cultures.
Sports-oriented academies have the capacity to establish a common ground to provide equal opportunities for both genders. At NVFA, both girls and boys are recruited for football. They built the first girls’ team in the district. “We have been working with the under-12 girls and expect a full under-14 team to be ready within 2 years. Two senior girls (under-17 category) have shown promise as goalkeepers. This is the first time most of the girls have gone through a structured sports program in their lives. The level of confidence in their body postures has increased day by day and they are showing promise in terms of body balance and ball balance.” says Kailash Raj Bhatta, Program Head for Sports at Mrida.
“Over the past 10 years, sport as an industry in India has changed fundamentally. When you train a young girl to be aware of her strengths physically and mentally that power resonates with her for a lifetime. You educate a girl and she will in turn teach the family. Training girls, educating them, making them aware of their choices can evolve and make an entire generation stand on their feet.” says Priya.
The promotion of sport across all spectrums of society not only encourages inclusivity but also creates employment opportunities. The sports industry has many lucrative and emerging careers like physiotherapy, sports & fitness coordinator, wellness manager, coaches at school & university levels, sports team manager and the allied jobs are numerous and none of them gender-biased. Sport for livelihood is a fulfilling and gratifying career path. Winners like Geeta Phogat, Mary Kom, Hima Das, coming from the remote regions of India, have established this fact and have taken women’s sports on an international level. Their journey and determination towards their games have been phenomenal. The support system that each of them received as girls became the guiding force behind every woman, every athlete that represented India.
Humans thrive on appreciation. When you acknowledge a positive quality in someone, it enlightens them even in dark times. Sports is that light. We play as kids because it makes us happy. Recreational sports create a conducive environment for the display of talent & appreciation of that talent through player and audience relationships. Specifically, for rural women.
“An informal handball tournament arranged in the village community for men and women made Rampyari Didi famous for her service. The tribe noticed and appreciated her for the first time, and that feeling of positivity will empower her for the rest of her life,” explained Priya
We can conclude that besides the aforementioned challenges of building sports pathways for rural women in India, the major obstacle is reaching and building a community that supports these women regardless of whether they are playing a friendly handball match or bringing home a medal.
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