13 February 2025
DBA Africa Sports Development: Closing the Gender Gap in Women’s Sports
Women’s sports in Kenya face a major challenge—a lack of access to proper sports gear, resources and cultural norms. While Kenya has a strong sporting culture, many talented female athletes struggle to compete due to limited equipment, training opportunities, and societal barriers like gender inequality and gender-based violence.
At DBA Sports Development, we believe every athlete deserves a fair chance. In Kenya and East Africa, sports programs often prioritize men’s teams, leaving young women with fewer opportunities. Many community programs operate with just one field, one ball, or one team, with these already limited resources going to men’s teams and clubs. DBA Africa has pledged to change this imbalance and bring about equal opportunities, without bias of gender.
The Tujiamini Report: Women Are Being Left Behind
Recent data from the Tujiamini na SportPesa initiative highlights the stark gender gap in sports participation. In 2024, male applicants outnumbered female applicants by a massive margin:
- Total applications: 22,655
- Male applicants: 19,853 (87.63%)
- Female applicants: 2,802 (12.37%)
The best-performing region for female applications was Nairobi, where women made up just 15% of applicants. The lowest was South Rift, with just 7% female participation.
This pattern was also unsurprisingly seen in the Tujiamini Silver and Gold Award winners:
- Male winners: 43%
- Female winners: 15%
- Teams/organizations (serving both genders): 42%
This data shows that the lack of female representation isn’t about talent—it’s about access to resources and participation numbers. Without access to sports scholarships, gear, equipment and structured programs, young women are simply being left behind.
Where Are the Female Athletes?
The Tujiamini report also revealed the top sports female athletes applied for:
- Football – 842 applications
- Talent Development (Non-Sport Specific) – 596 applications
- Athletics – 337 applications
- Other Sports – 229 applications
- Basketball – 112 applications
Regionally, in North Rift Valley, athletics was the most popular sport for female applicants, reflecting Kenya’s strong distance-running tradition. In other regions, football was a clear favourite. However, sports like basketball and rugby, popular in smaller pockets within Kenya lacked a strong female representation.
DBA Sports Development: Leveling the Playing Field in 2025
At DBA Africa, we are committed to gender equality in sports. Our experience with Tujiamini has shown us that female athletes need more support, and we are determined to change that.
In 2025, we are working to:
✅ Provide sports gear to more women’s teams
✅ Expand sports scholarships for female athletes
✅ Create female-specific training programs at the grassroots level
✅ Support community initiatives that promote women’s sports
Investing in Women’s Sports: The Future of Kenyan Athletics
The numbers may show a gender gap today, but the future is bright. If we invest in women’s sports development, we can create more opportunities for young female athletes to thrive.
At DBA Sports Development, we are leading the movement to level the playing field. Every girl deserves the same opportunities as boys to train, compete, and succeed.