In a bid to further the development of women’s sport in the Arab world, the Supreme Organising Committee (SOC) of the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), will hold a session titled ‘Female Athletes in Arab World’s Media Landscape’ on February 4, 2020, on the sidelines of the fifth edition of AWST, which is set to run from February 2 to 12. The session will discuss opportunities and challenges related to the portrayal of women’s sports in the Arab media, locally and regionally.Moderated by media sports personality Mustafa Al Agha, the session will host a number of senior officials and experts representing local and regional sports industry, as well as Arab sports media professionals and influencers.The session is aimed at highlighting opportunities and challenges in women’s sports and present suggestions to the media industry and decision-makers to augment the media’s pivotal role in advancing women’s sports. Based on six pillars, the session will tackle media coverage of women’s sports; discuss efforts to overcome social stigma that hinders women's participation in sporting events and ways of harnessing the power of social media to highlight sportswomen’s achievements; in addition to reviewing media programmes that contribute to the development of women's sports.The media’s responsibilities in the absence of awareness campaigns on the benefits of sports for both genders will be a part of the discussion. The session will examine the prospects of organising meetings with the local media and establishing temporary committees involving them to formulate plans and policies to support women’s sports. It will also discuss adopting successful media practices across the region.
HE Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Deputy Head of the SOC of AWST, Head of the Executive Committee and Director General of Sharjah Women’s Sports, commented: “Over the years, concerted efforts by Emirati and Arab sports authorities and institutions has led to the advancement of women’s sports in the region. However, these efforts need to continue to find new innovative solutions to further advance and develop it, which has prompted us to organise this session to discuss the opportunities and challenges to advancing women’s sports in the Arab world and the role that the regional media can play. The media has a powerful effect on people, who subconsciously adopt and internalise attitudes, beliefs, and values presented graphically or textually.”“We cannot deny that women’s sports in the Arab region still face challenges, especially its portrayal and coverage in the sports media. For that reason, and in light of the growing impact of the media due to advances in technology, we are keen on partnering with the media sector to formulate a plan to advance Arab women sports, to eliminate the social stigma attached to women’s participation in sporting activities and find innovative solutions to further develop women’s sports,” added the Director-General. AWST 2020 will be held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of HH the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of SWS. The tournament will kick off at the Sharjah Sports Club in Samnan, with a record 78 clubs from 18 countries participating.
About the Arab Women Sports Tournament
Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Sharjah Women Sports (SWS), the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), is organised by the Sharjah Women Sports (SWS) in partnership with the UAE Sports Council, Sharjah Sports Council and the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees.Launched in 2012, the bi-yearly Olympics-themed women sports tournament, hosts a number of women's sports clubs from more than 15 Arab nations to compete across 9 sports: Karate, Basketball, Volleyball, Fencing, Show Jumping, Shooting, Archery, Athletics and Table Tennis.In 2018, AWST hosted 67 women sports clubs from 16 Arab nations who competed across 9 games, and received media coverage from more than 380 outlets across the Arab region. The fifth edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to kick-start on February 2 - 12, 2020, will play a major role in building on the 5-year success of the AWST brand, and support the growth and development of the regional sports industry and women sports initiatives.