IT is an exciting time for cricket in this part of the world with the Hero CPL (Caribbean Premier League) well underway and the final games scheduled to be held here in Guyana at the National Stadium in Providence.

However, now more than ever, the spotlight has also turned on women’s participation in sport and particularly in the games of cricket and football, traditionally dominated by men.

The recently concluded Commonwealth Games saw ladies’ teams from several countries take part in the inaugural edition of the Women’s T20 cricket competition. The finals pitted India against Australia, with the Aussies emerging victorious. And, closer to home, the Caribbean ladies fielded teams in the inaugural Women’s CPL and the just-concluded SkyExch 6ixty tournament.

Farther afield, FIFA, the International Football Association, has said that “Women’s football is the single biggest growth opportunity in football today… although the game has grown exponentially at all levels, the passion and rising popularity of the sport offers untapped potential.”

This view was certainly borne out by the tremendous support given to the English women’s team, The Lionesses, who recently won the European Football Championship (EUFA) on home soil. The team reached the championship finals three times – in 1984, 2019 and this year. However, the most successful team is Germany, which has won eight titles.

The West Indies women’s cricket team with players from Guyana and the Caribbean have also had their share of success, competing with teams from the rest of the world and securing wins over Bangladesh and England in World Cup 2022.

However, while women take part in a variety of sports, statistics tell us that only 25 per cent of women do so compared to 43 per cent of men. Research aimed at discovering why girls and women are less likely than their male counterparts to participate in sports and physical activities have advanced several reasons. These include a perception of not being ‘the sporty type,’ not being in good shape, lack of time and the cost.

A recent ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, run by Sport England suggests that one of the main reasons women do not take part in recreational and competitive sport was fear.

“Fear of being judged by others based on their appearance, fear about their ability to take part and fear of judgement for choosing to spend time on themselves rather than their families.”

Indeed, the recent decision to retire by the widely-acclaimed GOAT (Greatest of all time) of the tennis world, Serena Williams, was influenced by her need to spend more time with her family, along with her wish to become a mother once more. In fact, the tennis great commented that were she a man she would not have to make such a decision, jokingly adding that she would be like renowned American footballer, quarter-back Tom Brady, who has announced retirement a few times but is still in the game.

In dealing with the fear that women have of taking part, particularly in recreational sport, Sport England launched an aggressive advertising and social media campaign showing women of all sizes, ages and races taking part in a variety of sports.

Humorous slogans were used to boost self-confidence such as, “Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox”; “I kick balls, deal with it” and “Hot and bothered.”

And Brainstorm, which provides readers with informed views on a range of topics, reports that, “Early evidence suggests that the campaign is paying dividends with a modest narrowing of the gender gap in sports participation.”

Professor Marie Murphy of the Sports and Exercise Sciences Research Institute at Ulster University in Ireland and a contributor to Brainstorm, said: “There are many reasons why women participate less than men in sport and physical activity,” adding that, “campaigns, initiatives and policies can change this situation.”

The UN Women’s Organisation underscores that, “Sport has the power to change lives [and] the ability to drive gender equality by teaching women and girls teamwork, self-reliance, resilience and confidence.” More importantly, “Women in sport defy gender stereotypes and social norms, make inspiring role models, and show men and women as equals.”

Back in 1943, when they first made a bid to take part in professional baseball in the US, none of this was considered (though baseball has a striking resemblance to the female game of rounders) and women had to fight just to be taken seriously, often heavily criticised for not being ‘ladies’ on the field.

However, women persevered, entering more male-dominated sports, proving their mettle, winning the support of ‘John Public’ (ironically named in this case) and thereby forcing the acceptance of their male counterparts.

Now, in her upbeat comments on the current situation, Jennifer Nero, the first female appointed to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), is able to say, “Women are on the move in sports.”