Karnataka tennis body to donate $100,000 for gender equality

Our Bureau

Bangalore, March 4 The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA), organiser of the Bangalore Open, an event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, announced on Tuesday that it would donate $100,000 to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco)-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership for gender equality and women’s leadership.

The contribution will enable establishment of a new partnership programme in India, to be selected in the coming months, which will join previously announced programmes in Cameroon, Liberia, China, Jordan and the Dominican Republic.

Key elements of the gender equality and leadership programme include Unesco Fund for women and leadership, a “Promoter of Gender Equality” player programme involving players as role models at both a global and national level in awareness raising activities as well as direct involvement in specific gender equality and women’s leadership programs throughout the world, mentoring, scholarship and fellowship programmes designed to support women’s individual leadership and provide them with the opportunities to succeed in any and all walks of life.

The KSLTA donation will allow for the creation of a new programme in the Bangalore region to promote opportunities for women and girls to assume leadership roles as well as to raise awareness and promote the goal of gender equality.

The announcement was made by the tournament Director of the Bangalore Open, Mr Sundar Raju and Sony Ericsson WTA TOUR Tour CEO, Mr Larry Scott and Ms Saniye Gulser Corat, Director of the Division for Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning of UNESCO.