Exclusion Of Women’s Football From National County Sports Meet Highlights Gender Inequality In Sports

The exclusion of women’s football from this year’s National County Sports Meet underscores persistent gender disparities in Liberian sports. Despite the global surge in interest and support for women’s football, the lack of infrastructure and funding at the county level remains a significant barrier to female athletes’ participation in national competitions.
Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Andy Quamie, confirmed that the absence of women’s football in this year’s event is due to insufficient participation and funding. Many counties, he noted, do not have structured women’s football teams, which poses a challenge to their inclusion in the tournament. “The government allocates 15,000 to each county for the event, but this amount is inadequate to support additional sports categories, especially beyond men’s football, basketball, and kickball,” Quamie explained.
As a result of this exclusion, the funds initially earmarked for women’s football prizes have been redirected to men’s football prizes. The reallocation highlights the systemic challenges faced by women in sports and the ongoing struggle to secure adequate financial support for their development.
The women football category which was announced earlier this year by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to be added to the competition caused Winners Incorporated, the prime sponsors for the cash awards component of the event to budget L$500,000 for cash awards in women category.
This was broken down in to L$250,000 for the winner, L$150,000 for the runner up and L$100,000 for the second runner up.
This proposal indicates a recognition of the importance of supporting women’s football, contingent upon addressing the structural and financial challenges currently hindering its growth. However, the current exclusion further marginalizes women’s sports, limiting opportunities for female athletes and stalling their progress.
The redirection of prize money to men’s football further amplifies the need for targeted investment in women’s sports. While the decision may provide more resources for male athletes, it underscores the disparity in funding and attention between the two genders.
This situation brings into sharp focus the critical role of government bodies, sponsors, and sports organizations in creating equal opportunities for both male and female athletes. For women’s football to flourish in Liberia, systemic changes in funding, infrastructure, and support for women’s teams are essential. Without these, the existing gender gap in sports is likely to persist, hindering the development of women’s athletics across the country.