International Women’s Day
The International Women’s Day, which falls on 8 March each year, was this year commemorated under the theme; ‘Women in Leadership: Archiving an Equal Future in a Covid-19 World.’ The International Women’s Day has throughout the 21st century been a day when people from all walks of life choose to come together in one accord and fight for equal rights for women regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability and or sexual orientation. It is a time to celebrate the great strides that women have taken in social, political, economic and cultural facets of present day life.
This year’s theme looks to stress the impact that covid-19 has had on women and women’s rights. Amidst covid-19, the challenges that women and the girl child face seem to be exceedingly emphasised and thus the need to reiterate the importance of equal opportunities in leadership for both Men and Women alike.
The Women's Day Tournament
As part of its contribution to the continuous fight for equality in the world of sport and in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, Play it Forward hosted a football tournament on Monday 8th March, 2021 at Mulwani football grounds located in Dambwa Central of Livingstone District. The tournament was partly funded by the National Organisation for Women in Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (NOWSPAR) who partnered with PFZ with the view of
advancing women’s rights through football.
The principal objective of the tournament was based on celebrating women and girls’ achievements in the communities in line with the theme, Women in leadership: Archiving an equal future in a covid-19 world. The tournament also served as a platform to encourage women and girls to continue pushing for equality during the period of the pandemic.
Six teams participated in the tournament plus one team that was made up of parents from the Dambwa community. The four hours of activities included football matches based on the Football3 Model and sessions on sexual and reproductive health, HIV and STIs testing which were conducted by Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia.
About the Football3 Model
Football3 is a model created by Street football world with the aim of promoting fair play, equality and teamwork, and empowering young people with skills they need to flourish off the pitch. Football3 allows community organisations to implement tailored programmes in line with their local need with the aim of creating a lasting impact.
