Suburban
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
WARD 41 Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe hosted a women’s soccer tournament to create a platform for girls and young women to air out their challenges as they participate in sport.
Dubbed the “Girl Child Women Football Tournament,” the soccer games were held last weekend in Good Hope suburb.
Kadzombe said the tournament was not a competition but a platform or safe space for young women to air out their challenges as they exhibit their skills on the football field.
She said through the tournament she was playing her community leadership role by engaging the girl child and mentoring them.
There were six women’s teams at the tournament with the age groups ranging from 16-28 years. Apart from exhibited their talent on the football pitch, the participants also had conversations on sexual abuse, drug abuse and careers.
“We had the soccer tournament over the weekend. This was basically an empowering tournament where we created a platform to engage the young women talking about sexual abuse, drug abuse and conscientising the young women on how to protect themselves and also being role models to other young women. As a community leader I saw it fit to host a tournament of this nature to identify talent, nurture them, educate the young women and encourage them. We had frank discussions on the challenges the young women are facing.
“Many said they feel that they are not being recognised and their sporting activities are not being taken seriously. I heard their voices and we will change that. More women’s tournaments are coming and we will give the girl child her place. The tournament was not a competition but a platform to encourage and get the girl child’s voice on what they need and the challenges they are facing currently. So we are going to start with a career guidance programme as it was amplified by the women participants,” said Kadzombe.
Teams that participated in the tournament included Golden Stairs, Fire Queens, Nyabira Queens, Grenara Queens and Domboshava Queens. The event was also graced by Reverent Masango from a local church. Kadzombe donated the trophies while Dariro Mode chipped in with soccer boots and three balls each for the participating teams.
