In a discussion forum held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, which invited people from different sectors including leaders, well-known female players, and journalists from the sports sector, the players expressed their concerns.
The invited players included Nibagwire Sifa Gloria, former captain of the Women’s National Football Team [She-Amavubi], Iris Ndagijimana, current captain of Police WVC, Mugwaneza Charlotte, current captain of APR WBB, and Mukonkawe Liliane, current captain of the National Sitting Volleyball Team for Persons with Disabilities.
The head of PLAY International in Rwanda, Pascaline Curtet, gave a journalist, Uwimana Clarisse, the floor to lead a discussion on what should be done for women in sports to gain more visibility and support like their male counterparts.
When the players were given the opportunity to share their experiences, they all agreed that they had not received adequate support from sports media, and they called on the media to support them.
Accused of not reporting news about women the way they report news about men, journalists including Mugenzi Faustin, Mihigo Saddam, and Mukeshimana Samirah apologized to the players for not covering or writing about them appropriately, while also expressing the challenges involved.
Some of the challenges they mentioned that hinder reporting on women’s sports include the mindset of some players who are shy and do not feel they should promote themselves, expecting others to make them known.
The journalists further explained that another barrier is the mindset of some sports leaders across all sectors, which is still underdeveloped, causing delays in supporting and promoting women’s sports.
After the discussion, sports journalists committed to taking concrete steps to increase efforts in promoting women in various sports but requested relevant authorities to provide the necessary resources and to value Media Officers in teams or other institutions to make it easier for those who want to access news about ongoing activities.
