Game Changers: Empowering Women Through Sport
VIEW EVENT DETAILSGender-role socialization and societal stigmas often discourage women from viewing themselves as strong, competent and self-determining individuals. In recent years, sport has emerged as a mechanism to help women counteract these self-limiting perceptions. Women's participation in sports can have an immense impact on their self-esteem, self-confidence and educational aspirations. With the growing participation of women in sports globally, how may sport be used as a means of empowerment for under-served women? How can participation in sporting activities result in a normative shift enabling women to live a life of dignity?
Join us for a conversation with Ashleigh Gardner, Captain, Australian Indigenous Women's Cricket Team, Sam Almaliki, Head of Community Engagement, Cricket Australia, Arun Kumar, CEO, Apnalaya, and Shikha Uberoi, Co-Founder, Indi.com as we explore the impact of women's participation in sport.
Ashleigh Gardner has been a member of the New South Wales Indigenous team since she was thirteen-years-old and has played in 7-straight national title victories with the team. Emerging batter Gardner was named the Lord’s Taverners Indigenous Player of the Year in early 2015, becoming the first women to win this award. Gardner headed all comers to top the runs tally at Cricket Australia’s Under-18 Championships in January 2015 with 199 runs to lead New South Wales to the title and claim Player of the Championships.
Arun Kumar has had the privilege of drawing from the best of many worlds; he grew up in rural Bihar, was educated at some of the premier institutes in Delhi and New York and has worked with both implementing and support organizations, including Oxfam and CRY. Human Rights and Non-Violence inform his perspectives on a host of issues including education, gender, health and livelihood. Arun enjoys envisioning, strategizing, and capacity enhancing of individuals and organizations committed to social change.
Sam Almaliki is a change leader passionate about inclusion and diversity. As the Head of Community Engagement at Cricket Australia Sam has lead the development and delivery of the National Community Engagement Framework and the customised strategies within aimed at engaging girls and women, multicultural, disability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with the game of cricket. Sam currently serves as Secretary of the Australian Cricket Diversity Council, overseeing the sport’s broader diversity and inclusion initiatives. He is also is a Commissioner on the Victorian Multicultural Commission and a member of the Australian Broadcasting Advisory Council.
Shikha Uberoi is a former top 100 WTA Tour tennis player, Asian Games Silver Medalist, India number 1, Zee Astitva Athlete of the Year 2007, and Indian Icon 2015. She was the first Indian woman to qualify and reach the second round of the US Open in 2004, was the top 10 fastest server in the world and is one of India’ s top 10 most glamorous athletes. She speaks internationally at various diplomatic conferences on female empowerment through sport and is becoming a face and force for female empowerment and women's leadership in India. She sat on the board of directors of the World Economic Forum’s “Global Shapers Initiative” for Bhopal and serves as a trustee and advisor to various NGOs and social enterprises.
This programme is part of Asia Society India Centre's Women of Asia Series, which brings eminent women from the fields of Asian business, arts, culture and policy, and provides a senior level platform for discussion on issues of current interest affecting Asia and the world.
In Partnership With:
Outreach Partner: