Maidaan Se Manzil Untold Stories of Rural Female Footballers

Theme:

Active Lives

Suheil Tandon

This magazine 'Maidaan Se Manzil' highlights the untold stories of rural female football players across the three states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan in India. These female football champions supported by grassroot organisations from rural India challenge discrimination and rigid social norms in their communities, and promote inclusive values and practices, through football.

What is the purpose of the project?

(1) Highlight the untold stories of young women footballers from rural India.

(2) Showcase the initiatives being undertaken at the grassroots in rural India to challenge gender discrimination and rigid social norms through football.

What were the enablers that proved successful in your project?

Inequality and discrimination in football, along with many other sporting disciplines, continues to be a major issue across the world. This is especially true for women and girls from marginalised and disadvantaged backgrounds residing in rural India, whose access to football remains a challenge, depriving them of their fundamental right to participate in sport. This magazine advocates for the benefits of girls' participation in football, as well as highlights they key challenges they face in accessing their right to play.

What impact did your project have?

(1) Highlighting the stories of young women and girls in rural India have defied stereotypes and gender-based discrimination to not just participate in football, but use it as a platform to become empowered individuals who can access future opportunities.

(2) Advocating for the importance of girls' participation in sport, and the benefits they can derive from it.

What were the outcomes for women?

Increased visibility of girls and young women accessing their right to participate in sport, especially in challenging and socially restrictive circumstances.