This is the sixth instalment in our series of seven feature stories published in the framework of the International Women’s Day to highlight women who have succeeded in breaking stereotypes in their community also through their participation in ENI CBC Med funded projects.
 

In Palestine, she sets an example

Tamara Awartani, born and raised in Ramallah, Palestine, passionate about sport, is the co-founder and director of the NGO 'Palestine Sports For Life' (PS4L), partner of Skills4Sports.

Since her childhood, she is used to be one of the few girls taking part in different sports activities. For example, she was one of eight female swimmers all over Palestine, one of five female karate athletes. She represented Palestine as the only female under 14 basketball coach at the Children of the World Camp parallel to the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) world cup in Turkey back in 2010 but most importantly she was the only female basketball coach for young boys in her country. This is just to state some of her roles. 

In 2000, she moved to Jordan to study at the University. Besides her studies, she played basketball in different teams, became a member of the Jordanian national basketball team and took part in many Arab tournaments. She even played as a professional basketball player during one season in Germany. During this period, she learnt a lot from and off the court, and realised how sport contributes to build a supporting system and to have a second family.

With a bachelor’s degree in information technology and a master’s degree in business administration, she decided to go back to Palestine with the strong will of giving back to her community what she has learned during those years. 

Thanks to her family and husband support, her passion for sports and her perseverance, she stands today as the only one in Palestine to be an academic specialised in sports for development and being globally recognized. She sets an example in continuing her career of managing the NGO, continuing her PhD and having a family with 3 children, who are always by her side supporting her.

“Growing up in Palestine, I had limited opportunities in terms of safe spaces for young girls to play and also to learn outside the classrooms. That’s how came the idea of co-founding Palestine Sports For Life.”

Tamara Awartani

Limited infrastructures and safe spaces for girls to practice sports

One of the main challenges for girls to practice sports in Palestine is the lack of safe places. In Palestine, girls cannot just go to the pitch or to the street to play football or any sport. Culture and traditions prevent them to mix with boys and exercise in the very few infrastructures that exist. Things become more critical between 16 and 18 years old. Sports become less of importance in their lives due to cultural limitations and expected next steps such as marriage.

Tamara decided to focus her efforts in providing programs through PS4L to empower girls and young women, and providing spaces where the parents would feel safe to leave their daughters so that they can practice sports. She worked with the support of the Ministry of Education to open schools after schools’ hours to ensure safe spaces to practice sports by trained young women coaches from the same communities. By doing this, she brought a solution to the limited infrastructures that prevent some young girls to play sports in safe spaces.


Karate and basketball, two passions of Tamara

She continuously designs programs and curriculums that take into account the communities’ needs and aligning them to some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) such as health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, social and economic empowerment and social inclusion. These programmes are open and free for the communities. 

“I was the only female basketball coach for young boys in Palestine.”

Tamara Awartani

Big changes in Palestine over the last 14 years
 
Tamara is proud to talk about being the first female basketball coach for young boys in 2008. She started with five boys in the first session and next session she had +30 boys who wanted to be in her session: eventually, she trained +200 boys in her coaching journey. 

This is a big change in people’s and institutions mindset towards female coaches. Tamara sets an example, she trained other girls to be coaches to increase the role models in the Palestinian society. Building their capacity in using sports as a tool for social change and development, raising the awareness about the importance of having safe spaces, has contributed to this change. Before, one of the rare options for girls to access to safe infrastructures was to be a member of a private club. Now, there are more multipurpose sports halls (but still not enough) and gyms, and most importantly the mindset towards the importance of sports in their lives is shifting positively. There are only five public indoor sports halls across Palestine.

Sport is not about competition; it is part of your daily life and can be a job opportunity

In Palestine, most of the people see sports as a hobby or as something reserved to champions, as a competition and not as part of your daily life that enables you to grow personally and acquire important life skills in addition to contributing to the economy.

Now, one of the challenges that Tamara faces is raising awareness on how sports can provide different job opportunities in a country where 35 % of its people are NEETS (Not in Employment, Education or Training). Through Skills4Sports project, she will empower girls and youth who studied sports to train them with emerging skills such as in sports management, sports technology, and more so that they are better prepared to fulfil the skills that employers are looking for in the sports industry both in Palestine and abroad. 


Empowering young girls and boys through sports