Life skills & sports Development Learning assessment. Focus Group Discussion, Female Participation in sports management and leadership
No Questionnaire
1
Are you aware of
employment
opportunities that
exist for females in
sports
management and
leadership?
Buchanan
Of the eight persons in the discussion 7 said “Yes,
they are aware of employment opportunities” while
1 person was not sure
R1 & R2 – I am aware of these opportunities, and I
think the Buchanan Youth Opportunity Center
(BYOC) is one.
There are more opportunities for employment in
sport leadership/management if you are willing to
seek those opportunities (female think it will make
your physical structure like man, there is a benefit if
you are good
Can you name a few areas where those
opportunities are available?
R5 - Mercy Corps/BYOC, 1st and 2nd division
clubs/teams in Buchanan.
R3 & R2 – Community sports clubs with the LFA
R6 – within the communities and with Bassa Sports
Association (BSA)
With various schools’ teams in Buchanan
And do you know how to access them?
R2 – Going out and asking questions regarding
sports.
R1 – female must be willing to participate in sporting
activities
R7 – female must have the passion to participate in
sport management
Margibi
We are not aware of opportunities because
we that are involve spent a lot in registering
our team, no compensation
Most of us females are not aware because
even we that are involve our friends call us
less busy some of them think we are
exposing ourselves to men
Few females see sports beneficials to their
other think it is a man’s thing
Can you name a few areas where those
opportunities are available?
Females can take on coaching role, can be
president/CEO serve as agent for athlete’s
female can be a referee, medic
And do you know how to access them
To access these opportunities, first female
should have passion for the area they want
to serve in, talk to other that are involve in
the area, make themselves involve
Montserrado
R5 – Inquiring from friends or other people who
have ideas or have participated in sport
leadership/management
2
Do you think
females are
seeking those
opportunities? If
yes, can you
explain? If no, why
are females not
seeking those
opportunities?
R2 – Going out and asking questions regarding
sports.
R1 – female must be willing to participate in sporting
activities R7 – female must have the passion to
participate in sport management
R5 – Inquiring from friends or other people who
have ideas or have participated in sport
leadership/management
Now females are getting involve into sports
leadership. For me, I say no, if we look at the
referee role, we are talking about it is only
few females that are getting into it. Females
are not accessing these opportunities
because of societal norms. It is difficult, we
are only 3 females clubs presidents in the
entire Margibi where there are more than
20 sports clubs, we pay more attention to
our players
3
Can you tell me
about some
challenges that
may prevent
females from
participating in
sports
management and
leadership? What
about gender?
R4 – Friends make mockery of female, some of them
are not confident of being a leadership.
R3 – some females are not patient to continue the
practice sessions
R8 – Coaches using profanities / words which
discourage females to participate in sport and
leadership.
R7 – Low self-esteem, looking down upon other
people because they are not performing. Having
intimate relationship with coaches/LFA authority
which brings about bad feeling among females.
R2 – Kickball team being coached by men/males
discourage girls to participate in the sport clubs. Lack
of valued added to the game since the same
activities are being done day after day.
Lack of financial support is one of the
biggest issues facing female’s participation.
More females think you will just be out
there exposing yourself to men. Females
lacks the capacity, financially and confidence
and the space are not given men has
dominated and they are not giving females
the chance. Societal barriers are preventing
females from getting involve. “I am a second
referee on one occasion, a player insulted
me, and I almost lose it, I was able to put
myself together reflecting on the training I
received, some females drop because of this
reason.
4
What support do
you think is
needed to
encourage females
to take on
leadership roles in
sports
management?
R5 – lack of self-confidence, not attending sessions
since they think they will not be getting any benefit.
Mostly female are not considered to be coaches.
R6 – lack of motivation, not understanding the
sporting management and duties.
What about gender?
R2 - No, because they are females/women/girls
since they cannot easily accept jokes which is
frequent within sports
R3 – Yes, feeling so proud that they are beautiful, do
not want to be submissive.
No, lack of transportation and other house chores as
well as lack of passion.
R4 – LFA need to prioritize female to become
coaches, club managers, president of sport
associations
MYOS need to make the sporting arena transparent,
follow up with those trained by Mercy Corps, and
support them in becoming role model for other
upcoming females.
R3 – Female need training sessions on Counseling,
Motivation and Sporting outfits, serving at organizer
for MYOS sports events, such as community league
when female will serve as coaches and referees.
R2 – LFA need to organize 1st division tournaments
for females, and females managing sports within the
county.
R4 – female showcasing talented female during
community tournament, from community to district
level, follow by county level, with support from
What about Gender?
Being a woman in sports management and
leadership sometimes has it advantage and
disadvantages, sometimes people we work
with overlook us because they feel we are
women and don’t have the skills strength
and sometimes we are able to build
relationships with our male counterparts
that help us get things done smoothly.
I wish the LFA can support females who are
involve in sports leadership, more
awareness needs to be created to avoid the
public from insulting or humiliating females,
materials, incentives, for the medic
department lack of medications for players
is challenging.
5
Which other
stakeholders do
you think have the
responsibilities to
support the
promotion of
female’s
participation in
sports
management and
leadership?
Do you think those
institutions are
doing well or more
needs to be done
What specific
advice can you
provide to females
who are interested
in pursuing a
career in sports
MYOS and Mercy Corps. This will help female
demonstrated acquired skills with experience
R2 – County leadership (superintendent and major
office, community women, etc.)
R1 - Bassa Sports Association (BSA)
R5 – lawmakers organizing sports tournaments of
various categories for female (manager, president,
director, etc.)
R4 – Those institutions need to do more awareness
activities to promotes female participation, they
need to direct their drive towards female through
the MYOS. R5 – Need more of intervention not only
at county level but at all levels (community, zones,
districts, regions)
R2 – Individual who are potential can establish their
own sport club/teams with female as coaches.
Female/women/girls are being involved in district
leagues will bring about full female participation.
Do you think those institutions are doing well or
more needs to be done?
In most case respondent think that those institutions
need to double up their work and encourage female
participation in sports management.
R2 – Female should encourage themselves since
change starts with the individual self. Good advice is
to rally around the MYOS, Mercy Corps, partners to
push the female inclusion agenda.
R4 – Encouraging female to take away the spirit of
fear, sacrifice to learn from start and they can lobby
Ministry of Youth and Sports, Liberia kickball
federation for this league season, SEGAL is
supporting all females’ teams in
Montserrado with sports materials. But for
us here in Margibi, LFA need to come to our
aid. More support should be given to
females to bring them on path with male.
GOL needs to pay attention to females
sports especially our traditional sports
kickball. More school going girls play this
game. Some even benefit scholarship from
playing kickball.
Do you think those institutions are doing
well or more needs to be done?
Those institutions are not doing much more
support is needed
For example, don’t listen to negative advice,
some friends will advice you wrongly, forget
about what people will say it should be
passion that drive you and you will be
successful. For me, when I join sports, I was
focusing on kickball, but to join football you
need to work hard and sacrifice, put aside
management and
leadership.
to get opportunities. Promote videos of female acts
to stakeholder and request for sponsorship.
R3 – female/women/girls need to keep pushing for
unity and cooperation and collaboration.
R7 – Female need to avoid undermining their
coaches/presidents who brought them on board the
sport club.
R1 – Have self-confidence, live by principles and
ethical values, focus, and believe we as female can
make a difference to impact the society.
R5 – leadership is not just by getting position but do
what you can really do, showcasing female talent
will enable you to do better.
R6 – Mercy Corps coaches need to support other
people to learn their skills.
R8 – Girls should be motivated to perform their tasks
and avoid the issue of intimacy of relationship.
R1 – Bassa Sport Association (BSA) need to get
Sports for Change Manual which will enable them to
learn and do similar program such as Life Skills. This
will help them realized the potential and the Life
Skills curriculum implemented at the fullest.
Concept note need to be prepared to enable MYOS
have a uniform Governing Rules for female sports in
Liberia
you relax muscles. Don’t think about the
from the start because you are impacting
society, later you will start to see the benefit
“For me, I got interested in being a referee
one day when I went to watch a game and
saw a female serving as center referee
Savanna W. Gardner now she’s a FIFA Batch
referee and I want to be like her.
As a female administrator, most of the work
is center around you.
Key Informant Interview Responses Female Participation in sports management and leadership
No Questionnaire
1
Buchanan, Ms. Rose Lloyd, Team Manager,
Grand Bassa Kickball Federation
Contact # 07770273838
Can you tell me
I grew up playing kickball. Later, I played
about yourself, your football I have been working with the county
background in sports team for the past 6 years as team manager. I
management and
also work with the Liberia Kickball
leadership? What
Federation-Grand Bassa,
steps did you take to As Team Manager, I have been through a lot
get this far?
and have accepted a lot to things. I have
been patient, committed.
2
What are some of
the challenges you
encountered along
the way
3
How does being a
female influence or
hinder your role in
sports leadership?
Margibi, Sarahline Dahn, Secretary, Margibi
Sports Association. President Ayouda Kickball
club 0770727665
My name is Sarah Dahn, I live in Kakata. I actively
got involve in sports 2018. Before then, I was
involved in youth work with Margibi caucus. I was
home one day a group of young girls walk to my
home to asked me to help their team the “Dreams
Girls” from there I begin my journey in sports
management We later change the team to
AYONDA association. We qualify from 3rd to
second division. In my journey, I was
Budget constraints has been one of the major One major challenge I see is lack of support. I am
issues faced affecting my work, inadequate
planning on constructing a youth center for my
support for the league
association. I am catering for some of these youth
besides sports, I am providing for their daily
needs, but lack of finance continues to hinder my
work.
Being a female and being into sports
“I serve the Margibi Sports association as
leadership has its good side and it bad side.
secretary General, on one occasion, I went to do
Sometimes men are willing to lend you
payment for the county team, and I was attacked
support. Some of them can be very rude they and beaten by one of the male players because he
think woman can’t do things right and they
felt cheated on his stipends. And I felt that he did
want to overshadow you.
it because I am a female, if it was a male, he was
never going to do that. Those are some of the
challenges we encountered because of our
gender. Sometimes we are supported by the good
Montserrado
4
How is your role in
Sports management
contributing to your
livelihoods?
Sometimes we can earn something good
especially during events like the county
meets, community meets. If I were to rate
my earning in sports leadership between 1- 5
with 5 being the highest I will say 3, through
the little income I earned I am able to cater
to myself
5
Do you agree that
there exist
opportunities for
females in sports
management and
leadership? If yes,
can you name a few?
Do you think females
are seeking those
opportunities? If
yes? If yes, please
explain. If not, why?
Why is there low
female participation
in sports
management and
leadership?
Are there training
opportunities or
institutions to
Yes, I agree there are lots of opportunities
that exist
Female can be a referee, statisticians, or a
medic
6
7
8
ones and sometimes we are overlooked and
insulted.
“, I want to be grateful to God and those who
encourage me to join sports seeing myself in
sports has been great. Through my role I sports
can take care of my daily expenses. On a scale
from 1 to 5 with 5 the highest I can say I am at 3.5
on the scale. Just yesterday, I got a call to pick up
half bag of rice from one of my team supporters.
Small, small I know things will improve
Yes! There are greater opportunities for females
in sports administration. If females get involve in
sports, they will be given first preference. Female
can be a president for a club, referee, coach and
serve in the secretarial
Females are taking advantage of these
opportunities gradually; with time, we will
have more females involve
Females are not looking after those opportunities
because of the challenges associated with them.
Some of them think it is only for men.
Most females think sports is for men, some
thinks it is a waste of time. And being in
sports leadership prevents you from doing
lots of other things like your family’s
responsibilities
I don’t know of any institution that is
providing support besides the Liberia Kickball
Like I said, some females think sports is for men,
that is a backward thinking. Some of them think
by getting involve in sports you are exposing
yourself to men.
No! for me, I learn the game through my players. I
kept asking questions and they drilled me through
the rules. There should be training for females to
9
10
support females
develop careers in
sports management
and leadership? Can
you name a few?
Which other
stakeholders do you
think have the
responsibilities to
support the
promotion of
females’
participation in
sports management
and leadership?
federation that conduct training once a while
for us here in Grand Bassa.
inspire them to gain interest in sports
management and leadership
Ministry of Youth and sports, LFA and other
partners NOGs
The Ministry of youth and sports, Liberia Football
Association and all institutions involve with sports
What specific advice
can you provide to
females who are
interested in
pursuing a career in
sports management
and leadership
I encourage young girls who want to take on
leadership role in sports management to be
discipline and patients because it is not at the
beginning that you will benefit financially.
From the beginning, all you see is challenges.
If you are not focus, you will get discourage
and leave the sector
Females coming into sports will need to volunteer
they need to be committed.
They will need to be patient and will have to
sacrifice their time.
When I got the call, I was excited to participate in
this interview I was excited, this is the second
time am being called for such activity and am very
happy that people are hearing about my good
work, and they have asked me to share my
experience