Playing football in Cameroon as a girl: a match for equality

Abstract

Football, whether played competitively or as a leisure-time activity, is a veritable social institution in Africa, that commands a strong physical and symbolic presence. It gives shape to social bonds and occupies a special place in the public’s imagination – globalized modernity, success – that is highly valued, in particular because of the great international careers of some African players. It thus creates opportunities for experiences that involve a political dimension: in the realm of football, social and cultural norms can be negotiated, and economic as well as cognitive resources circulate. Using ethnographic data gathered in the context of a study under way in Cameroon, we examine the ways in which girls gain access to the practice of football through a range of practices and strategies within a context characterized by multiple constraints.