SPORT THE GREAT GENDER EQUALISER
Being a kid brother to three (alas, now departed) sisters, blessed with a loving mother, a loveable wife and, if I may say, an affectionate daughter ( I do not want to alloy the relationship by calling her a daughter-in-law) and, of course, without in any manner belittling the role of the menfolk in my life, I find all this talk of gender equality rather bemusing. For the kind of atmosphere that we were all brought up and bred in, having a family patriarch who was far-ahead of his time, equal respect and opportunity, irrespective of whether you were a boy or a girl, was something we accepted as a given. Of course, the collateral benefit was the nurturing of healthy relationships and unpolluted minds where we menfolk looked upon the fairer sex as a natural extension of society, as equals, a feeling which was mutual and reciprocal. In general, this feeling was present not only in our household but, as appeared to our impressionable minds, to society in general.
However, over a period of time a potent combination of societal changes, rapid but somewhat uncontrolled economic development with its negative social consequences, incessant access to information in the face of the growth of the internet and the mismatch between the biological age and mental development, gender equality came into question. While seemingly progressive, society actually became regressive with crimes against women and female foeticide multiplying and a general degradation in the society’s attitudes towards women
It is against this backdrop that I have been actively following an initiative by my daughter to promote sport among women. Backed by an enthusiasm, bordering on exuberance (sometimes may be irrational), exploiting the advantages and wide range of social media, she took upon herself the task of popularising Football among girls, nee women. Mind you, this happened when she was an absolute novice as far as playing Football was concerned, something to which I can personally testify.
Having followed the struggles of the US Women’s Football Team (whose achievements rank much higher than their male counterparts) for equal pay, the constant whining of the Women’s Tennis players for pay-parity, watching the conception, incubation and progress of this initiative to a stage of fruition has been interesting and inspiring.
Through subtle networking on social media, aggressive personal word of mouth engagement, what began, with a small bunch of about ten girls at a single location in Delhi has, within a couple of months, spread to more than a couple of locations in NCR with potential for further geographical spread. Using the unheralded, but widely prevalent network of sports facilities, hiring professional coaches, these Football Clinics, conducted periodically but regularly in early mornings, evenings and over weekends, provide an avenue to hone skills, improve physique and an outlet away from the machinations of a complicated external environment.
Having witnessed a couple of these sessions, the enthusiasm of these girls/women is seen to be believed. These women, most of whom have practically no prior experience or knowledge of the game, but are there for the sheer joy, and come from varying backgrounds [which might include homemakers, professionals, (self)employed, students and the like] and of different ages seem to put their heart and soul into the game, of course, aided by non-judgemental, patient and professional coaches who seem to not only be putting the extra yards but also enjoying the role, as reflected in their pleasant countenance. While the competitive spirit and the desire to excel is self-evident, what is particularly interesting to watch is their enthusiasm and the perfect blend of power play with infinite (without at all sounding sexist) feminine grace and strategic prowess.
One only hopes this small but welcome initiative gets replicated and gains traction speedily, spreading across various sports, surpassing geographical and societal barriers for a gender-neutral society and becomes an aid to women empowerment.
Before closing and on the subject of gender neutrality, in a day and age where women have conquered all known conceivable frontiers and made their mark across diverse fields of human endeavour (don’t forget the role played by women scientists in India’s space programme or our chest swelling with pride watching Captain Tania Shergill, a fourth generation Army Officer, leading the Army Contingent at the Republic Day Parade, to name a few) the talk of gender neutrality/a society free from gender bias seems misplaced and out of context. In this day and age what is required is, a balanced, and nuanced approach to the issue which ensures equal opportunities in all fields for either sex, subject, of course, to the naturally ordained roles that each gender has been defined to perform. By this I do not mean to relate the feminine sex to homemaking duties or to any other specific role or the male sex to being the traditional bread winner but to certain specific roles which biologically and structurally only each gender can perform (fatherhood/motherhood for instance)
I end with the fond hope that while this initiative gains traction rapidly, progress towards gender neutrality only accelerates.
