MATARA, Sri Lanka – Sport covers a broad range of activities, both physical, mental, and can be recreational and competitive. Sport is a social and cultural process in which social constructions of gender, male masculinity and female femininity play a key role.

UN Resolution 58/5 adopted in 2003 called on governments to use sport as a means to promote education, health, development and peace. Studies have revealed that sport can be used to work towards a number of development goals, including human development, gender equality, improving public health and well-being, supporting education and leisure activities, social development, and promoting stability, tolerance and social inclusion.

Sport, especially the game of cricket, is traditionally associated with masculinity in many societies. A cricket match was organized in the coastal town of Matara by four women centres, which UNFPA supports, to raise awareness on gender-based violence. Nearly 110 boys and men participated in the cricket match held on 28 October.

The women centres selected the players coming from various backgrounds – from the unemployed youth, to alcohol and drug users. The participants were educated before the cricket match on how their masculinity could be used for sports and not on illegal activities, such as drug usage and sexual harassment.

Messages on prevention of domestic violence, like “Hit the ball if you have frustration, never harass a woman or girl, never hit your wife”, were also disseminated during the event. A special cap was designed as an advocacy material, carrying the message.

For more information, please contact: 
Lankani Sikurajapathy, tel. +94-11-2580840, +94-77-3411614, sikurajapathy@unfpa.org