In Uganda, sport is emerging as a powerful tool to protect girls from harmful traditions like female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. Coach Cheptoek highlights that on the running track, girls find a safe space to confide in her about pressures they face, issues they cannot share elsewhere.
The Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation, in partnership with UNFPA and UNICEF, is using athletics as an entry point to reach young people, especially girls excluded from opportunities. Sport challenges the undervaluation of girls' potential, offering an alternative to practices that lead to child marriage and early school dropout.
Annual Christmas runs not only foster competition but also select girls for educational sponsorships, enabling them to pursue junior school. These initiatives are slowly shifting community attitudes, with parents now recognizing how athletics can transform individual lives and entire communities.
Beyond sports, Ms. Cheptoek provides crucial advice on sexual and reproductive health, safety, and psychosocial support. This guidance is vital as successful female athletes often face pressure to abandon their pursuits for marriage, but education and financial independence offer them crucial choices.
The tragic death of runner Rebecca Cheptegei underscores the vulnerability of female athletes who challenge traditional gender roles. Efforts are focused on ensuring girls and women can live free from violence and realize their full potential, with sport aiming to grant them freedom, not put their lives at risk.