Focus on women’s participation to end gender discrimination in sports: MP

JOHOR BARU – The government needs to focus on female participation in sports by putting an end to gender discrimination, according to Syerleena Abdul Rashid (Bukit Bendera-PH).

During the committee-stage debate on Budget 2023, Syerleena said sports is a uniting force, and that the Youth and Sports ministry could encourage women’s participation to eliminate gender discrimination.

“We can’t deny the (emancipatory) power of sports for women, so I think the government has the opportunity to empower women and create a safe space for them in sports.

“Sports is like politics, dominated by men, which makes women uncomfortable.

“Given that there are politicians and religious leaders trying to prohibit women from taking part in sports activities, I applaud the government for allocating RM1.044 billion for the industry.

“But I emphasise that the government must be focused on combating discrimination against women in sports,” Syerleena said.

Further, the first-time MP also urged the Youth and Sports ministry to increase coverage on female sports categories.

Currently, Syerleena says only 4% of sports coverage is on women.

“So I ask the ministry to create an environment so that there is more coverage for women, and provide a platform for better exposure of women’s sports,” Syerleena added. – The Vibes, March 14, 2023