Although though we live in a revolutionary era of female empowerment, African women athletes continue to confront a variety of obstacles, such as cultural prejudices, limited perceptions, stereotypes, social involvement, and a lack of elite athlete role models, to name a few. Nonetheless, we manage to overcome many of these obstacles on an annual basis.There are nations where it is required to have a minimum percentage of women in leadership roles across all sectors, in Judo policies have also been put in place to encourage female recruitment, participation and leadership roles. We have allied with men who support and encourage us to take up sports and leadership positions. Although there is still a long way to go, I am confident that gender equality will be achieved with everyone's dedication.Like with all martial arts, Judo contains core beliefs that, when properly ingrained, respected, and put into practice, will spark a wave of change toward equal access to opportunities and resources for both men and women. Another reason I fell in love with the art is because of this.By continually increasing our self-awareness and learning how to act in ways that are inclusive, engaging, and conducive to growth, we can all play a vital role in society.