Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WOMEN and girls still face real barriers in Zimbabwe, and sport is one of the few spaces breaking them down. That was the message from Harare provincial head in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Sarah Charakupa, at the Women and Girls Sports Festival in Mbare on Friday.
The provincial showcase at Stodart Grounds drew participants from Government departments, community clubs and schools, all competing in netball, volleyball, football and indigenous games as part of belated Women’s Month commemorations.
Charakupa did not dress it up. She pointed to the daily realities many girls still face.
“This festival is about action, not just words. Across Zimbabwe, many women and girls still face barriers which include cultural stereotypes, limited resources, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, and mental health struggles.
“Sport helps break these barriers…This festival is about empowerment, health, leadership, and visibility.
“However, let me be very clear. This vision cannot be realised by government alone.
“It requires all of us. To our partners: your time, knowledge, mentorship, and resources are the ‘Give’ that creates the ‘Gain.’
“Without you, many of our marginalised girls will remain excluded. With you, they become champions, leaders, and agents of change.
“I call on all stakeholders including local authorities, private sector, traditional leaders, NGOs, schools, and communities to give something,” said Charakupa.
The Harare leg followed the national event held in Mashonaland West last month, with organisers using the platform to push participation beyond symbolic gatherings.
This year’s programme was also aligned with International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, observed on April 6, which places sport at the centre of social change.
“Sports is very important in terms of peace and development because it promotes peace, it promotes inclusivity and unity which is important for development,” Charakupa said.
In a speech read on her behalf by deputy director coordination in the Office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province, Benedicta Mubaiwa, acting Permanent Secretary Catherine Kampila said the event must translate into tangible change.
“The festival is not just a celebration, it is a statement.
“Every year, we come together to honour our women and girls, not with mere words, but with real action.
“This year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Give to Gain,’ reminds us of a simple truth that when we give our time, resources, and opportunities to others, we all rise.
“When we lift women and girls, we build stronger families, healthier communities, and a more inclusive Zimbabwe,” said Kampila
