UKZN’s Extended Learning Unit (UEL) partnered with the eThekwini Municipality’s Department of Sport Development and Recreation for an event dedicated to reimagining and reshaping the future of women’s leadership in sport.
The Women’s Month gathering attracted female coaches, athletes and sport administrators from across eThekwini, creating a vibrant and diverse space for dialogue, learning and inspiration. It was not simply a once-off engagement – it was the beginning of a long-term commitment to building pathways that will see women not only participate in sport but also take their rightful place in positions of leadership, governance and influence.
Head of Executive Education at UKZN’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L), Dr Shalen Mohanlall, emphasised the transformative vision driving the partnership. Mohanlall says the collaboration was dedicated to ensuring that women are fully equipped to lead, govern and inspire, while promoting access, transformation and sustainable change in the sporting landscape.
Central to this partnership is a commitment to knowledge and skills development, research-led solutions to influence policy, and the cultivation of a pipeline of future leaders. One of the standout initiatives is the Women in Leadership for Sport short course, designed to empower and upskill women in sport, while youth-focused programmes such as the Game Changers Leadership Bootcamp are aimed at nurturing leadership potential among high school girls.
The day’s programme was enriched by three thought leaders whose presentations inspired deep reflection and robust conversations. Clinical psychologist Dr Kirsten van Heerden explored resilience and mental strength as the ‘unseen game’ in women’s sport, while Academic Leader in UKZN’s Discipline of Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Sciences (BELS), Professor Rowena Naidoo, highlighted the importance of women’s health, clean sport, and leadership under the theme ‘Fit to Lead’. Senior lecturer at the GSB&L Dr Xoliswa Majola addressed the theme of ‘Breaking Barriers’, unpacking policy, power and possibilities for women in sport.
Naidoo affirmed that the event was just the beginning of a longer journey, noting that the BELS team was already working closely with UEL to design specialised sports-related short courses that uplift and upskill coaches and administrators, ensuring women are better prepared to occupy leadership roles in the sporting ecosystem.
Words: Maryann Francis
Photograph: Supplied