Report: Sexual abuse normalised in sports industry

Sexual abuse in the sports industry has been so normalised that young victims cannot flag it up, a survey by the Ministerial Committee on Gender Welfare in Sports reveals.

The research findings by the taskforce, which was established by the Ministry of Sports in July last year, show that although 15 per cent of the sportswomen interviewed suffered sexual abuse, 43 per cent of them preferred to suffer in silence.

In collecting qualitative and quantitative data between August and October 2021, the committee chaired by legendary sportswoman Catherine Ndereba, held plenary sessions with sportsmen and sportswomen. They also interviewed federation heads, civil society organisations, sports clubs and camps, caucuses, referees and umpires.

Through telephonic interviews, a further 486 female athletes aged 18 and above participated in the study that sought to establish the status of discrimination and abuse in the sports ecosystem.

They were drawn from nine federations, namely Athletics Kenya, Kenya Rugby Union, Kenya Volleyball Federation, Kenya Handball Federation, Kenya Netball Federation, Kenya Hockey Union, Kenya Basketball Federation, Tennis Kenya and Kenya Table Tennis Association.

Careers undermined

Many (33 per cent) athletes surveyed were from Athletics Kenya, followed by Kenya Rugby Union at 18 per cent. Kenya Volleyball Federation and Kenya Handball Federation, each had 12 per cent representation.

The sportswomen also cited emotional abuse, bias and the struggle to balance between family and sporting duties as major hurdles hurting their careers.

The female athletes surveyed said team officials enlisted unfit players for financial or sexual favours.

The most common form of abuse was found to be comments on the athlete’s attractiveness (43 per cent). While the 29 per cent pointed out pressure to go out with the perpetrators and have sexual relationships, as well as uncomfortable sexual looks.

But then, 43 per cent of them persevered in silence, 29 per cent convinced themselves that the issue wasn’t important, while 14 per cent talked to other staff in the athletics department.

The study revealed coaches, teammates and officials as the main perpetrators of the sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Fifty-seven per cent of the sportswomen said they had been abused by coaches and 29 per cent by teammates and team officials.

Way forward

To end the abuse, the committee recommends a coordinated multisector response involving the Office of the Public Prosecutions, ministries of Sports, Interior and National Coordination, Labour, Education, Gender and ICT, among other stakeholders.

During the launch of the report, dubbed Levelling the Playing Field: Gender Inclusivity in Sports, on Monday, in Diani, Kwale County; Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Sports Amina Mohamed called for collaborative efforts to create safe spaces for sportswomen to thrive.

“Sports enhance women’s self-confidence and self-esteem, and enables them to acquire valuable skills in negotiation, management, decision-making and leadership,” she said when the report was unveiled at the ongoing three-day Agnes Tirop Conference.

The conference has been named in honour of the late 2015 World Cross-Country Championships winner. Tirop is suspected to have been murdered by her husband Ibrahim Rotich, who after her death went into hiding.

He was later arrested and hearing of the murder charges against him are scheduled for March 9, 2022.

CS Mohamed added: “In effect, by seeking to make the world of sports a safe place for women, we are contributing to their holistic development.”

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