Celebrating female sports on International Women’s Day in Benghazi

The recent conflict in Libya put life on hold for residents of Benghazi, often confining them indoors for long periods and seriously limiting their opportunities for sport and normal social interactions. The purpose of this action was to provide a safe space in which female players, referees and the audience could enjoy sports in a relaxed environment.

Attendees were mainly adolescent tennis players who had lost access to their play areas, their peers, and their trainers due to the situation in Benghazi. The gathering thus felt like a reunion of old friends, adding an extra layer of warmth to the nostalgia and excitement of hitting the ball for the first time in a long while.

Lubna, a member of ACTED’s protection team, said that ‘the trainers were impressed by the level of performance their students showed once they were in a tournament mindset.’

One of the participants said, “I brought both of my daughters to the event, one of them has a tennis match after tomorrow, so there couldn’t have been a better scenario for my daughter to both practice and enjoy her time”.

This event highlighted the community’s strong desire for more sports opportunities for women in Benghazi. This was evident from the high level of enthusiasm shown by the participants. Some participants even suggested planning other sport activities on a larger scale so more women can participate, hence generating larger momentum for the cause of women’s sports.

The ambition for the event went beyond simply getting women back into sport, but was also motivated by the desire to talk to adolescent girls about physical and mental health, self-esteem, body image, and the positive health impacts of sports.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, depression, and chronic anxiety are all common health issues among young women in Benghazi. During discussions in ACTED’s awareness sessions, participants spoke about how the conflict had had a clear and immediate impact on their health, most directly through reducing opportunities for women to exercise, thus creating the conditions in which such negative health issues can thrive.

ACTED’s protection team also found that women were interested in the initiative and would like to see similar events take place all over Benghazi to encourage more women to take up a sport.