Cudjoe-Lewis: Sport helps women on and off the court

MINISTER of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, urged women and girls to continue competing in sport as it builds you as a person both mentally and physically.

Cudjoe-Lewis was speaking at the closing ceremony of The Becoming: Life Skills Workshop at the National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua on June 15.

"Today, we celebrate 82 graduates and their parents," Cudjoe-Lewis said. "Let's celebrate the 82 graduates first for finding time alongside their school work to participate in this programme."

During the workshop, the participants competed in sessions over four weekends. It focused on empowering young women and girls in sports with essential skills such as career planning, self-marketing, networking and professional development, in line with the ministry's Pink Reign Campaign. The campaign was created five years ago to help encourage women and girls in sport.

The sport minister said the goal is to provide an equal chance to everyone.

"Sport promotes social inclusiveness, holistic development," she said.

"Women and girls in sport defy the misconception that women are the weaker sex or we are incompetent or incapable when it comes to physical activity. Every time a girl clears a hurdle or bats a ball, mounts the podium, breaks a record, it demonstrates physical prowess.

"It demonstrates mental strength, perseverance, commitment, gut and grit; quietly breaking barriers and showing the world that we are in fact equals or as I like to say, just as good or even better."

Many women continue to face discrimination in access to sports, a lack of media coverage and less sponsorship, said Cudjoe-Lewis.

Playing sport helps the overall well-being of women, she said. "Women who participate in sports have shown to have higher levels of confidence, self esteem, lower levels of depression and more positive body image. Additionally, girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in unintended pregnancies, more likely to get better grades in school and more likely to graduate than girls who don't play sports."

Deputy permanent secretary at the sport ministry Beverly Reid-Samuel also attended the closing ceremony.