It was back in 1967 when Kathrine Switzer, a 20 year old college student made headlines when she competed in the Boston Marathon despite women being barred from the competition. Her act of bravery to compete in an exclusively men’s sporting event sparked the beginning of the women’s right movement and inspired others to recognize that women have a place in sports, just like any man. 17 years later, the Olympics finally recognized marathons for women, a total of 88 years after the first marathon was run. 

To say that women need more support, guidance and encouragement to follow their sporting ambitions would be an understatement, especially in India. Let’s delve into that topic further with Ms. Vaidehi Vaidya, Founder and Managing Director of Women in Sport India who gave her valuable insights in an exclusive interview with SPOGO. 

What inspired you to create Women In Sports India? How has the journey been ever since you started this initiative in 2015 until now?

When I started my career in sports, I wanted to connect with other women who were working in sports, to exchange information, knowledge and to learn from them. That’s why I started Women in Sport India (WISI).

Since then, the platform has received a lot of attention from people, from companies like Facebook, from the media and so on. I have been invited as a speaker on various occasions including TEDx.

I saw the upward trend and the response that WISI was getting and decided to officially register it as a company in the year 2020. It was not the best time to register the company but for me, it was a great decision. I see plenty of opportunities for growth for WISI as well as women’s sports.

Over the years I have connected with many fantastic women, some athletes, some coaches, some women working in sports. They have all been an inspiration for me and I am happy to say that the community is getting stronger by the day.

There has been a lot of talk about India requiring a ‘sporting culture’ that will make it easier for more women to join sports. What are your thoughts about that?

I believe every country has its culture. Traditionally, the Indian culture has not promoted women’s sports or women in sport in the past. However, the trend is changing rapidly. Within the last few years, social support for women’s sports and women in sports has increased tremendously. Our female athletes are doing well at the international level, parents have started supporting their daughters in sports, women want to work in sports. The tide is changing but we also need to give our country some time to fully grasp the concept of women’s sports.

I don’t agree that India doesn’t have a sporting culture. Everyone plays when they are young. Sports are in our daily life till we start working. I would say that we don’t have a ‘Competitive Sports Culture’. In the previous years, we have not focused on competitive sports, for girls or boys. We are just waking up to it and there is a lot of catching up to do.

What are the challenges that you have faced in creating India’s first online sports body to support women in sports?

Starting something for the first time is both boon and bane. If you pioneer something, then you get the advantage of being the first one. But there is also no roadmap for you to follow. You are discovering everything for the first time which makes the way towards success that much harder.

Luckily I am surrounded by people whom I can speak to when I need advice. My mentors, my advisors and my well-wishers have always been there to guide me during the journey towards success.

How does Women In Sports India plan to create an ecosystem for women to get the help required in sports?

First, many people are working in women’s sports but they are working at an individual level. Over the next few years, we plan to create a strong network of people so that instead of working alone they can work together on various aspects of women’s sports.

Second, many women are working in sports. They are also searching for other women in sports like I was at one point. It is also our target to create a strong community of these brilliant women who can come together and work together. It is always nice to be part of your tribe!

What is the WISI Mentoring Program? How will it empower women at the various stages of their career development?

WISI has three mentoring programs based on ‘Learn. Think. Implement’ principles with each program connected to one principle. The current stats say that there are only 2-3% of women in leadership positions in India. Through these programs, we wish to see women in leadership positions in the sports field.

Through these programs, they will understand which field is right for them to work in, how they can become a leader in the field and additionally they will also get a chance to learn on the job through live project opportunities. The program structure is created to give them a holistic experience for them to succeed in sports but our relationship with them doesn’t end with the programs. We support them even after the program. Many of the alumni are still in touch with me and WISI helps them in their decision-making process. We are also developing a policy lab to influence the sports policy changes and the program participants get a chance to be part of the process.

If you ask me, women in sports are already empowered. WISI just gives them the platform to show that.

In what way does the approach need to change at the grass-roots level to get more girls to play sports at a young age?

We need to include sports in the official school curriculum and it has to come from the government, for a simple reason that no individual organisation has the reach or the capacity to influence large-scale change as the government does.

Practically that is the best way to encourage more girls into sports at the grass-roots level.

What are Women In Sports India’s achievements so far? What are your goals for the future? 

WISI is only 1 year old as a company, but we have successfully carried out our Sprint Mentoring program. Our community grows every day. And we have about 3000 women in sport in the WISI tribe. I am very proud of all of them.

Our new additions this year are the Global Sports Leadership Program and Marathon program. I am looking forward to both and not to mention the crown jewel, the “Policy Lab’, which will be launched in the second half of the year.

2020 wasn’t a great year for the sports industry but I hope it rises to the challenge as we all do much better in 2021. Fingers crossed!