Johannesburg, SA (15 April 2024)

The Unorthodox Group will host a women symposium aimed at championing the power of women’s voices and driving positive change in sports. The symposium will be hosted at the Discovery Building, 1 Discovery Place in Sandton on April 18, 2024, following the recent celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March.

The event will be dominated by discussions led by industry experts and facilitated by renowned sports personalities The main aim of the event is to focus on creating awareness around the value chain of sports and opportunities available to women, and to also support the South African Women’s Hockey Team’s Olympic aspirations.

In recent times, South Africa’s professional women’s teams have done well at different levels of competition in different disciplines. This success has signalled the need for sports enthusiasts to advocate for equal access to opportunity when it comes to funding for women’s sports. The main objective of the gathering is therefore to use the discussions around sports and the advancement of women in sports as a way to gather funds and assist the women’s national hockey team in achieving their dream of going to the Olympics and winning the coveted gold medal. This objective will be achieved by redirecting sponsors funds and other stakeholders’ contributions to the team’s crowd-funding platform.

Unorthodox Group is dedicated to empowering women’s sports in South Africa and is focused on levelling the playing field to ensure that girls and women have equal opportunities in sports. Unorthodox Group CEO Sibabalwe Sesmani, says: “Unequal pay and a lack of both investment and access to opportunities are two of the biggest challenges facing women’s sports. We at Unorthodox Group always strive to assist in this plight, and the symposium is our contribution to the ecosystem of women in sports. We hope to see a change in our lifetime, a change that brings equality in sports, but for now, we will lead with the mantra, “Be the change you want to see.”

As strong supporters of female sports, Discovery is partnering with Unorthodox Group to host the symposium to give women a voice on how their disciplines could be improved. Discovery is passionate about improving people’s health and supports both grassroots and professional sportswomen to inspire and develop outstanding female athletes.

The breadth of panelists, including the likes of Springbok star Lukhanyo Am, Olympic medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker, and veteran broadcaster Mpho Maboi, shows how the symposium aims to provide real tips and advice that give more girls and women equal access to and opportunity in sports.

Unorthodox Group Women Symposium will provide an opportunity for leaders in different sporting codes to reflect on how they have achieved their success and give practical, useful advice that can help further women’s careers in sports as they explore the value chain of sports. The symposium aims to open up the industry and foster conversations that can help the sports industry reach true equality.

Please Click Here! For the Women’s Hockey Team Crowd funding.

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