Delhi 2010 will promote greater participation of women in sports

In its endeavour to accomplish greater participation, gender equality, and to address all females related matters in the work of the Games time and beyond, the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi (OC CWG Delhi 2010) today held its first Females Sub-committee meeting headed by its Chairperson Ms. Sara Pilot and Ms. Lora Prabhu, Convenor. It was attended by the OC CWG Delhi 2010 Chairman Mr. Suresh Kalmadi MP and members of the Sub-committee including prominent females personalities from different sections.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Kalmadi said 40 percent of the workforce in the OC CWG Delhi 2010 is females and it shows OC's dedication to give equal participation to them. “Half of the 8000 athletes coming to participate in the Games are females and they are going to be accommodated in the Games Village. I propose to have a woman as the Deputy Mayor of the Village so that females issues can be taken care of in a better way,” they added. Thereafter the Sub-committee proposed Air Marshall (Retd.) Ms. Padma Bandhopadhyay to be the Deputy Mayor of the Games Village.
Mr. Kalmadi also suggested to the Sub- committee to make positive greater participation of females in the Domestic Sector of the Queen's Baton Relay 2010 Delhi and other functionalities of the Games like hospitality.

Sub- committee’s Chairperson Ms. Sara Pilot, in her presentation gave the slogan of “voice, choice, freedom and rights for women”. They also reiterated that a national level impetus needs to be created for females related issues.

Ms. Gul Panag, actress, social activist and member of the Sub-committee said, “We require activism in this matter, they already have plenty of constitutional articles that legally bind the government to make positive gender equality.” Another member, Ms. Kalli Puri said, “Our idea is to do one sizable signature activity with this organisation to generate a role model from an underprivileged section of the society who can serve as the brand ambassador to this cause.”

All members were of the view that sports are a sizable device to empower females and also said that there is a necessity to empower females in sports itself. Commonwealth Games are a platform giving the country a chance to enhance visibility of sports and females.

The Sub- committee unanimously echoed Mr. Kalmadi’s view that upcoming Commonwealth Games is the immediate objective as well as a launch pad to boost women’s participation in sports and it can help in generating awareness in the whole process to spot and nurture the talent at an early age and promoting Olympic sports in the country in general.

Mr. Kalmadi gave his full support to suggestions given by the members on setting up a Females Help-desk in the Games Village, training volunteers and workforce in a gender sensitive way and enhancing female viewership of the Games.