BUJUMBURA January 28th (ABP) – “Women’s self-discrimination means they do not enjoy a significant place in the field of sport;” this was said by the chairperson of the of Burundi Sports Journalists Association (AJSB), Ms. Liliane Nshimirimana, in an interview given to the check by ABP in Bujumbura on Thursday January 24, 2019, a day dedicated to the international celebration of women’s sport.
She said on the same occasion that what motivated the celebration of that day was to make it known, arguing that it remains unrecognized, before stressing that the AJSB would like this special day for the woman who practices the sport to be known and officially celebrated in the same way as the day of March 8th which is reserved for women.
For Ms. Nshimirimana, some challenges prevent Burundian women from entering the field of sport, including cultural barriers that consider that the woman is made to do housework or to stay at home and the discrimination that makes people consider the sport as a domain reserved for men. She also added that the Burundian woman does not occupy a place of choice in the decision-making bodies, explaining that it is the same at the sport management level.
Ms. Nshimirimana raise another challenge, which is that of self-discrimination of Burundian women who are not interested in sport on the pretext that it is tiring. The AJSB chairperson took the opportunity to appeal to Burundian women and girls to change certain mentalities related to the tradition or culture of Burundi. She invites them to take inspiration from women and girls who have already taken a good step in the international sports field, including Francine Niyonsaba, Lydia Nsekera, Florence and others.
She also advised them not to neglect the sport which is a field full of opportunities where the woman can flourish. She promised that the AJSB will continue to campaign for women’s sporting activities, give the microphone to women to express their wishes for sports and continue to encourage women who practice sport to integrate more in that field.
