When their friends come over, girls normally read, play board games, or draw.
Over time it became ingrained in Ghanian society that sports are just for the guys. For a lot of girls, this constitutes the reason why they don’t like playing sports at all, especially soccer. When you have been excluded from something, it is easy to start to dislike whatever that something happens to be. I was told that in many cases, when a girl is playing soccer with some boys, she might be asked to stop or to sit out of the game. One of my friends said if I was seen playing soccer, people would just assume I don’t know the social norms of Ghana.
This is a completely different experience than what many girls are used to in America. Nearly all American girls are introduced to a variety of sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis and running. Our favorite sports become a part of who we are, and sometimes we can’t imagine our lives without them! It is due to this attitude that countries all over the world, including the United States, have produced some of the greatest female athletes.
One of the biggest takeaways from travelling to new places is the ability to look at life through a new set of eyes. The tide is changing in Ghana. More and more women are seen running on the street and participating in sports. There is actually an all-girls volleyball team at the University of Ghana where I study, as well as a co-ed track and field team. Although it has been normal here for men to dominate the world of sports, normal is always changing. Society, no matter where, wields the power to change what is seen as acceptable. Living in Ghana has helped me to understand that one can always make strides forward on this long road of life.
