Attended by more than 60 women from business, Non-Governmental Organisations and sporting groups, the session attempted to outline the role the women should take throughout society, particularly within sport.

SASCOC President Gideon Sam opened the session and encouraged women to support each other in moving into administrative roles within sport and claimed that at future assemblies strides made by women in National Federations, Provincial Confederations and any other sporting bodies should be noted.

“Women are here to strategise and are going to negotiate their rightful place in sports administration,” Sam said

“There is reluctance on the part of women sport administrators to support one another to get seats.

“Few women stand out and contest these positions.

“Some of the reasons could be issues of patriarchy in our society, cultural norms of the place women should take and therefore we totally ignore the constitutional dictates and carry on with life as usual.”

SASCOC Deputy President Hajera Kajee, chair of the Women Commission, and Somadoda Fikeni, chair of the Eminent Persons Group,  SASCOC chief executive Tubby Reddy, UNICEF representative in Côte d’Ivoire Herve Ludovic de Lys and Judge Navi Pillay, who previously served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, were among those present at the session.

Pillay claimed women are a “special interest group” and delegates at the session needed to find ways in which women could break through into high positions and have an influence on sport.

“Our own constitution entrenches equality and non-discrimination,” she said

“Why is a larger women population excluded in sport, are women not interested in sport, or not skilled enough?

“We have to counter these perceptions and participate actively in sport.”

Triathlete Kate Roberts, a two-time Olympian and a silver medallist in the team event at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and former South African women's football captain Keneilwe Mathibela shared their experiences with the session and encouraged more women to take the initiative within sport.

South Africa;s Deputy Minister of Sports and Recreation Gert Oosthuizen echoed their thoughts claimed that “despite great participation of women in sport, women are significantly discriminated against in sport, and are subject to gender violence.”

He added: “More work is required to enable boys and girls to be treated equally in sport in order to achieve our millennium goals as a nation.

“The Government would like to ensure all women and girls have an opportunity to participate in sport, and recognise their diversity of needs, especially those of women and girls with disabilities.”

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