In Congo-Brazzaville, women are very poorly represented in sporting bodies. Two major factors are blamed: resignation and discrimination. The authorities promise to change the situation.
"At last!We've been able to fill the void! Paul Samba, President of Congo Brazzaville's National Women's Football League, recently congratulated himself. The position up for grabs was that of vice-president of the league. And it was Berthe Bongo-Passy, former vice-president of the women's soccer governing body from 2011 to 2017.
"I'm delighted that my colleagues have chosen me. I'm going to do better than I did in my first experience," promises Bongo-Passy. But while women are often under-represented in this league, this time the new board now has three women against four men. That's 42.85% female representation. A little ahead of the Fédération congolaise de rugby (FECORUG), whose executive board has four women out of eleven members, i.e. 36.36%.
An approach in line with the precepts of international bodies. "In line with the recommendations of international bodies to which we are affiliated, we at the national women's soccer league have made it a point of honour to ensure that the vice-presidency of our league is headed by a woman," explains Paul Samba.
Meeting the requirements of international bodies
And it's well worth the effort, as humanity celebrates the 47th International Women's Rights Day on March 8, 2024, under the theme "Investing in women: accelerating the pace".But how can we "pick up the pace" in Congolese sport? An environment where, generally speaking, women are virtually under-represented in sporting bodies. This is true of the Congolese Handball Federation (FECOHAND), where there are just two women on the eleven-member board, representing a representation rate of just 18.18%. As for the Brazzaville departmental women's rugby league, there are only two women and ten men. That's 16.66%.
Apart from numbers, there's also positioning.
With the exception of the Nzango Federation, headed by Aminata Cissé Adjakou, all the Congo's sports federations are run by men. This is a reality observed in all areas of Congolese sport. And this is not without explanation. Observers point to the resignation of Congolese women in sport."In federations and leagues, positions are elective. Unfortunately, few women are willing to stand for election to head sporting bodies. So the under-representation of women in our country's sporting bodies is really a matter of resignation," observes retired journalist Georges Bweillat.
This is acknowledged by players in the Congolese sporting world. "Do you know how many days it took us to find a candidate for the post of vice-president? Many of the women we consulted declined the offer," laments Paul Samba."I had applied. And I was elected to the board of the Brazzaville departmental women's rugby league. But we couldn't elect a woman who didn't stand," says Émilie Marie Nkazi, third vice-president of the Brazzaville departmental women's rugby league.
Fighting resignation and discrimination
As well as resignation, there's what Solange Koulinka Ipolo calls bullying by men. "I don't mind that we women are bullied because we're resigned to elective positions. But I wonder if there are as many men as women in appointed positions. UN Women has said that we need to invest in women. And if there's no willingness to invest in women, it's hard for them to get involved. For eight years I headed the general secretariat of ONSSU. I'd like to see an inventory of the blunders I've made, so that I'm no longer consulted today", says the four-time African handball champion with the Congo national team. But for sports journalist Derich Ngatala, "the under-representation of women in governing bodies is due to two factors: resignation and discrimination".
A state of affairs that Congolese leaders intend to put an end to."Berthe Bongo-Passy promises: "Along with the other two women in the office, I'm determined to wage a relentless battle against resignation and discrimination, so that equality of the sexes and of opportunity becomes a reality in the Congolese footballing gotha.
