Women still encounter various forms of stereotypes wherever they find themselves, and sports is no exception. The 11 amazing Ghanaian athletes pictured here are challenging and overcoming these barriers to excel in their various fields. They represent women in sports who live with courage, enthusiasm and positivity. This photo essay seeks to encourage and pave the way for girls and women facing barriers in playing sports to move away from fear of being stereotyped and bring out the champions within.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Fairuza Osman<\/strong>, 21, a national athlete says looking at the progress she\u2019s made is a huge motivation, and that nothing can stop her. \u201cA stranger once asked me if I couldn\u2019t get any sporting activity to be part of rather than boxing, because I was too beautiful for that,\u201d unsolicited advice that she quickly ignored, she said. It wasn\u2019t easy to break the news to her parents when she started training as a boxer. \u201cI was scared my dad will stop me from boxing. But I convinced him, and he gave me the go ahead,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI\u2019m feminine outside the ring but I’m sporty and aggressive in the ring. My advice is to think about your goal and just work hard and above all be discipline,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Belinda Ayeley<\/strong>, 25, has been playing rugby since 2017. She is an amateur player with hopes of turning pro. She\u2019s been told on countless occasions that sports are for men and women are to concentrate on getting married. \u201cBecause my siblings focus so much on academics, my dad has been saying I\u2019m useless, and he still says that all the time. My responses to him have always been to watch out for me and at the right time everything will be perfect,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n She believes the world will be a better place when people stop stereotyping because it dims a person\u2019s confidence. \u201cWhen you give a person the freedom to do what he\/she does best, I think that person will excel. Everybody should be given the opportunity to explore,\u201d she said. Belinda advised women athletes to \u201ckeep loving what you do best and you will be the best.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Despite the perception of golfers, Belinda Seyram<\/strong>, 27, wanted to explore the sport for herself. \u201cBefore I decided to play golf, I often hear people say playing this sport is expensive and it\u2019s for old men. People don\u2019t want to even try to know if it\u2019s true or false. I have actually found out that this is not the case. It\u2019s a game that shapes you as an individual. I love the game and that\u2019s why I\u2019m still here,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Belinda said that some people have tried to discourage her with hostile behavior and have spread rumors she is there to flirt with married men. \u201cIt\u2019s my personal determination that has kept me this far. Don\u2019t base your interest on people\u2019s perception, if you think you like it, just come give it a try. Let your vision matter and forget everyone else,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Bello Masuratu<\/strong>, 26, started playing basketball in 2008. \u201cMost guys say to me, I shouldn\u2019t do sports. They think I should be looking sexy in an office, but I ignore them because my parents support me and that\u2019s enough,\u201d she said. Her message to young girls interested in sports is that \u201cyou may encounter people who will always criticize you, but just believe in yourself because playing sports will boost your self-confidence.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Claudia Ammadi<\/strong>, 27, started rock climbing a year and half ago. She only recently found out about climbing in Ghana and decided to join for fitness and for the love of the sport. Although rock climbing is not common, she said she hasn\u2019t experienced stereotypes. \u201cMy thought is for people to just accept sportswomen who are passionate and support them rather than underestimating them or talking about their body and how masculine they are,\u201d she said. \u201cKeep going, just focus, and never mind people who speak about your body. Be you and push forward to whatever you are doing.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Co-owner of Ridgecity women\u2019s football club, Cleopatra Nsiah<\/strong>, 36, said that people are often surprised that she is in an ownership role in sports. \u201cPeople are shocked that a woman is running a football club. But it\u2019s a women football club, who else is supposed to run it if not a woman?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe have tried to get people to sponsor us but we\u2019ve been unsuccessful, I don\u2019t think because I\u2019m a woman, but it\u2019s because the team is a women football club. The mere fact that it\u2019s a women’s football, people think it\u2019s a joke, a hobby or fun time a few girls are trying to have. Nobody respects women football especially in Ghana. It\u2019s difficult getting sponsorship. But we are not going to stop trying to get it because I\u2019m sure there are people out there who really want to help, so we won\u2019t stop until we find them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Doreen Tetteh<\/strong>\u2019s initial aspiration wasn\u2019t sports. \u201cI wanted to be a military woman, but later discovered my love for football at age 10,\u201d she said. Though the 22-year-old has strong support from her parents, some relatives still discourage her. \u201cThey say playing sports as a woman doesn\u2019t pay, but I don\u2019t give my mind to them because I know what I want, and that doesn\u2019t discourage me,\u201d she asserted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In 2016, Prospera Nantuo<\/strong>, 17, started playing badminton. She\u2019s now in the Ghanaian national team. The sport has taught her to be disciplined, she said. \u201cSome relatives have said to me sport wouldn\u2019t take me anywhere because I\u2019m a lady. People don\u2019t believe we can do much, but we are doing our best,\u201d she said. People tried unsuccessfully to convince her that playing sports would be bad for her education. \u201cI have passion for sports and it has improved my thinking ability,\u201d she said. Her message to young girls is, \u201cdon\u2019t let anyone sit on your interest. Just make up your mind and you can do all things.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Ramatu Quaye<\/strong>, 25, a boxer in the Ghana national team, started boxing at the age of 10 years. \u201cA friend told me I wasn\u2019t going to give birth because of the career path I have chosen, but it isn\u2019t true. I had my baby and I\u2019m back to training, and I haven\u2019t lost anything. That perception is wrong,” she explained.\u00a0 \u201cI will encourage my child to be a boxer when she grows up,\u201d she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cSome people conclude that all sports women are lesbians, especially men whose relationship proposals we reject,\u201d said Regina Jessica<\/strong>, a 28-year-old handball player. \u201cSports would have been lovely without stereotypes, because the fear of being attacked or tagged with names draws people back,\u201d she said. Her advice to younger women is to focus if they love what they are doing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n –<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Winnifred Ntumi<\/strong> is an 18-year-old weightlifter in the Ghanaian national team. When she tells people she\u2019s a weightlifter, sometimes they try to touch her muscles because they don\u2019t believe it\u2019s true. \u201cSome say, how can a lady be doing this, see how smallish I am, and a lot of stuff. But I don\u2019t care about what they say. All I know is I\u2019m doing my lifting and it\u2019s my body,\u201d she said. She believes the only way forward to end stereotypes is to accept people the way they are. Up-and-coming athletes should \u201cjust be you and do what you want,\u201d she advised.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Photographs and text by Misper Apawu Women still encounter various forms of stereotypes wherever they find themselves, and sports is no exception. The 11 amazing Ghanaian athletes pictured here are challenging and overcoming these barriers to excel in their various fields. They represent women in sports who live with courage, enthusiasm and positivity. 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