Gender Links is commissioning commentary and opinion pieces and personal accounts or ‘I’ stories around different thematic areas on the impact of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 on the advancement of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment throughout the SADC region. The aim of the contributions are to highlight the gender dimensions of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 through people’s lived experiences and relevant opinion pieces.

Background
The FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 is one of the most important economic events for South Africa and the Southern Africa region over the next two years and has the potential to offer women in the region opportunities to participate in and access a range of economic opportunities as well as to ensure a social legacy from 2010. A concerted effort is required to consult women regarding how they can access economic and other strategic sectors of this event. Delivery of the FIFA Soccer World Cup will happen at the regional and local level and local government, as the sphere closest to the people, is critical to the economic empowerment of communities in general and of women in particular.

The recently signed and adopted SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, foregrounds the need for SADC countries to address and advance the economic empowerment of women in light of the economic realities faced by women of the region and their often dire economic conditions. Articles 15 to 19 in the SADC Gender and Development Protocol seek to provide “for the equal participation of women in economic policy formulation and implementation.” These articles have provisions and targets on entrepreneurship, access to credit and public procurement contracts, as well as stipulations on trade policies, access to property, resources and employment.

Contributions are invited under the following themes:
1. The current and potential role of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 in advancing gender equality

* The active participation and creation of space for women in decision-making structures in all sectors of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010, particularly those relating to economic opportunities in the form of procurement and employment and the creation of new and additional economic opportunities particularly at the local level, and any other relevant issues.
* Is there evidence of deliberate mechanisms that have developed by local government to ensure the inclusion of women in local economic development initiatives surrounding 2010? What mechanisms have been used to enable a greater participation of women?

2. Localising Soccer 2010

* How can local government use 2010 as a flagship project for benefitting women’s economic needs?
* What is the role of local government in ensuring that women have access to and participate in all sectors that relate to the Soccer World Cup 2010?
* What will the potential impact of the Soccer World Cup 2010, positive or negative, be for women in the SADC region?

3. Economic opportunities (procurement, employment, trade and entrepreneurship) for women in the planning and delivery of the FIFA Soccer World Cup

* What is the quantity and monetary value of contracts going out to women’s businesses?
* Are there specific sectors where women dominate in regards to 2010? Which ones and what are the reasons for the dominance of women in some sectors?
* Does gender disaggregated data on employment for the delivery of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 exist? Where are women most located in terms of employment sectors and employment levels?
* Do targets exist in terms of access to employment, procurement and trade opportunities for women in the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010?
* How could the gendered division of labour impact on women’s ability to access economic opportunities offered by the World Cup?

4. Human trafficking and/or sex work
· What migration patterns might develop as a result of World Cup 2010?
· Vulnerabilities of women and children to sexual exploitation across borders
· How is the advent of the regional visa for the World Cup likely affect women?
· In what ways could the long-distance transport sector enable the sexual exploitation of women during the World Cup? Which other sectors could perpetuate the trafficking and sexual exploitation of women?

5. Gender Based Violence

* In what ways can the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 exacerbate the occurrence of gender based violence?
* Which specific types of gender based violence are likely to be most prevalent? Why?
* In what ways could a major international event of this nature be used to galvanise support for ending gender violence?
* How are governments and civil society prioritising and responding to this issue?
* What should governments’ and civil society’s response be to this?

Submissions may be made in following categories:
1) Personal accounts or “I” stories
· The “I” Stories are a series of first hand accounts of how people have been impacted by Soccer 2010.
· The “I” stories can be published under a pseudonym if required.
· The stories must be around 800 words.
· Final stories must be received by the 30 October 2009.
· Please submit your “I” story to Naomi Blight on [email][email protected] by the 30 October to receive full details of requirements. If you would like to discuss your story before writing please contact Naomi.

2) Opinion and commentary pieces
· Analytical perspectives of the problems and possibilities of Gender and Soccer 2010.
· Successful stories will be published in Gender and Soccer 2010 book and in the mainstream media.
· The pieces must be around 800 words long.
· They must tie into the themes as outlined above.
· Pieces must be received by 30 October.
· Please submit your “I” story to Naomi Blight on [email][email protected] by the 30 October to receive full details of requirements. If you would like to discuss your story before writing please contact Naomi.

All submissions and enquires should be directed to:
Naomi Blight
Justice Intern
Email: [email][email protected]
Tel.: +27 11 622 2877
Fax: +27 11 622 3742