20 Jan 2016

The International Working Group on Women and Sports (IWG) will host a five-kilometre fun run event in Gaborone on Valentine’s Day. 

According to a press release from IWG, the event will be held in conjunction with Boy for Gender Equality in order to bring together girls, boys, men and women in the name of gender equality. 

A follow up event is expected to take place in Francistown on February 27.

The release says the event is an all-inclusive initiative that targets couples, intimate partners, fathers and daughters, sons and mothers as well as siblings to take part in the fun run.

It states that the fun run will include several activities that will teach and test each couple’s endurance, relationship and level of understanding for each other. 

This is inclusive of understanding issues of gender or HeForShe commitment.

Tickets were supposed to be availed from yesterday and can be purchased from IWG office at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. 

The fun run will start at 5:45am at the National Stadium and end at the same place.

It also states that the fun run is one in many activities that the year will see as “we strive to encourage men to become willing allies to the realisation of a gender based society”.

The fun run follows the launch of the campaign and its champion, Solly Reikeletseng, which took place last December in line with the 16 days of activism against gender based violence. 

The release explains that at the time of the launch and post launch several commitments where made by the campaign champion.

The champion mobilised men across the country to join HeForShe and become allies in the fight against gender based violence. 

It further states the current target is to reach a total of 20 000 signatories by December. Ends