Over the past years women’s participation in the domestic top flight league has become more visible and explicit, despite being relatively gradual in terms of improvement and growth comparing to other leagues within the region.
So, we take a look at reasons that are behind this undesirable revelation from the official’s perspective to supporters’ attendance and viewership, in general.
“We have been uncharacteristically labeled as prostitutes by some supporters” admitted Rose Ponto, one of the longest female serving stewards in the central region.
Ponto observed that one of the main problems affecting women’s participation in football is that there’s too much discriminatory tendencies and beliefs influenced by traditional gender gaps which often limits women’s participation in football because it is seen as a male dominated field, and therefore a masculine activity by design.
Since 2010 when Ponto joined the football stewardship committee, together with her friends have been filing complaints to their leadership on how they have been verbally bullied by some mischievous fans.
“We were very few the time I joined in. The number has been improving over the years though we’ve been losing some due to verbal attacks by some men. We’ve been sending complaints to our leadership but there have been no actions” she added.
Grant Masatsa, Treasure General for Central Region stewards committee acknowledged to have been receiving complaints of that nature.
“These female stewards have been braving, they have been complaining of bad treatment from some men and during stakeholders’ meetings we have been presenting the issue but there’s always no solution to it”.
Meanwhile, Masatsa said despite facing numerous challenges but the number of female stewards is improving “from 5 percent of female stewards 10 years ago, now we’ve hit 10 percent here in Lilongwe. We have maintained 20 female stewards for the past three years out of all 80”.
This sad predicament is not only being felt by female stewards alone, Female referees have not been spared the verbal bullying wrath.
In 2021, memories are still fresh, a sad spectacle of female referee Mercy Kaira uncontrollably crying at Karonga Stadium after being attacked physically and verbally during a top flight match between Karonga United and Silver Strikers.
Similar incident also happened in 2022 at Kamuzu Stadium during Blantyre Derby when renowned female referee Bernadetta Kwimbira was bullied by spectators.
National Referees committee General Secretary Chris Kalichero admitted such things are a pullback factor to women’s participation in football.
“That’s indeed our biggest challenge, when we assign female referees to officiate matches they are not respected and it starts with players on the field, coaches, to the terraces. Which is bad because it damages their self-esteem and discourages young female aspirants to join the field.”
“Another challenge is biological factors such as menstruation and pregnancy, that limit continuous participation, as well as issues of cultural believes and norms that portray the sport as a male field”.
According to Kalichero, likewise the stewards, there’s only 20 percent of female referees (both center and assistants) in Malawi’s elite League.
To the part of Female coaches; the history of Malawi’s elite league records only Karen Chaula who was the head coach for Mtopwa Football Club from May 2021 but was fired her maiden season for underperformance, something Coaches association of Malawi through General Secretary Davie Mpima translates to lack of trust to women in the game, considering the short period she was given to prove her skills.
Kettie Mkandawire is the Vice chairperson for the National Football Security Committee who also braved the insults.
“Since 2009 when I became chairperson for Red Lions FC it has been a difficult situation to adapt with openly abusive language and prostituting allegations but despite that, I’ve been courageous enough to keep going until now I’m entrusted with double roles as Kamuzu Barracks chairperson for supporters committee and National security personnel,” she said
She further urged football authorities to start sanctioning with stiff punishments anyone disrespecting women’s rights in football, if the country’s elite league is to have more women participation.
