Boxing SA has earmarked August, Women's Month, to lure former, current and aspiring female pugilists with a jam-packed boxing programme.
Aptly titled Women in Boxing, Nande Mheshe said the aim of the programmes is to make the fistic sport more appealing to women.
Mheshe, the chairperson of Boxing SA (BSA) Women in Boxing, is also a member of the seven member BSA board. The two other women on the board are Koketso Tsebe and Romy Titus.
"We have a mammoth task ahead of us, to ensure we make the sport more attractive and appealing to women. We want the ladies to see a future in this sport," Mheshe said.
Mheshe's Women in Boxing committee comprises Spar Protea assistant trainer Zanele Mdodana and Shereen Hunter, who resigned as a boxing promoter last year.
Mheshe took over the position of chairperson following the resignation of Zandile Kabini in August last year..
Mheshe has lamented the dwindling number of female fighters in the sport.
"South African heavyweight champion Razel Mohammed in the only fighter in that weight division. Wendy Gcado, Rita Mrwebi and Caroline Rabali are the three contenders for the vacant national super-middleweight belt," she said.
Asked about the plans for next month, and beyond, Mheshe said: "I've had time to get through the soft document with historical background regarding women in boxing. I saw that they were only allowed to participate from 2006.
"The Boxing Act demands of us to nurture relations from the amateur ranks which is Sanabo (SA National Boxing Organisation) and the professionals which is under Boxing SA. We must increase the number and see more women involved not only in boxing but also owning the value chain of boxing."
Mheshe said they will continue with the Women in Boxing series and have identified four provinces – the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal – to host the Women's Month fights.
"Our first tournament will take place in Cape Town and we are projecting the month of August that will be a two-day event," she said.
"Day one will be the launch of the Season 2. We will also incorporate other programmes that are critical to women. That talks to their mental issues, sexual offences, gender-based violence basically. We are here to say we are the voice of the voiceless. We want to see women appreciate and love the sport, and getting involved in both fighting and administering it."
Muditambi Ravele, the former chairperson of BSA, was instrumental in ensuring the hosting of Women in Boxing programmes in all nine provinces next month
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