Prominent women sportspersons in Pakistan have demanded better financial incentives and more exposure at the domestic and international level on par with men.
In a first of its kind development, Pakistan's top women tennis players recently wrote a letter to the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) demanding a raise in the prize money given to them in national tournaments.
"How can we continue to play tennis if the women's tournaments' prize money is kept low," the letter said.
The letter sent to the PTF President was signed by the likes of Ushna Sohail, Isha Jawad, Mansha Babar, Shamza Naz, Sara Mehboob, Mehak Khokhar, Sara Mansoor and Aleena Aftab.
These players said, in the letter, that they were not getting a conducive environment to play and improve their performance.
"Tennis is the world's most expensive sport. First of all, we don't have a conducive environment to play tennis in the country, secondly no female player has a future in the sport," the letter said.
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In a related development, a senior player of the Pakistan women's cricket team, Javaria Khan has also called for the launch of a T20 league for women in the country on the lines of the Pakistan Super League.
"The need of the hour is to have a PSL for women as this will not only allow women players to play alongside foreign players but also improve their skills tremendously," she said.
"It will also pave the way for new talent to come through."