The Women Win Foundation - Sport for Development with Girls

Women Win/GRLS/Goal Programme

Throughout the world, it is well-recognized how sport and physical activity can help promote leadership, communication, and self-confidence skills among youth. However, many programs are built by and for men, without recognition of the unique socio-cultural, economic, and political obstacles that impact the lives and experiences of women and girls. WomenWin’s mission is to utilize sport as a way to challenge gender inequality across the world. The WomenWin Foundation is a global, multi-dimensional women’s fund focused on facilitating girls-centered sports programming as a way to address gender inequities and social stereotypes. Sexual and reproductive justice, gender based violence, and economic inclusion are a few key areas that WomenWin believes greater access to empowering sport opportunities can help address. WomenWin collaborates closely with local partners across the world by providing funding and assistance in developing women-centered programming, reaching over 50 countries.

In order to effectively pursue their mission of advancing women and girls’ rights through access to safe opportunities for movement and physical activity, WomenWin has a daughter brand, called GRLS, which focuses specifically on sport and playing opportunities for adolescent girls and young women. Within GRLS, partnerships with local grassroots organizations are developed to provide athletic opportunities where girls can develop transferable life skills, like leadership, resilience, and teamwork, strengthen their understanding and ownership of their bodies, challenge socio-cultural stereotypes, and have access to female role models.

GOAL is one of GRLS notable programmes. Supported by Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, GOAL is specifically focused on challenging inequity and promoting economic inclusion for girls ages 12-18 who live in underserved communities by utilizing sport and life-skills education programmes. Since 2006, GOAL has reached over 500,000 girls and young women in 24 different countries. Operated primarily by schools and community clubs, GOAL sessions are provided on a weekly basis for 10-month periods. Unique to GOAL is a four-module educational curriculum. Be Yourself, Be Healthy, Be Empowered, and Be Money Savvy, teach girls important lessons about communication and confidence, reproductive health and hygiene, personal rights, and personal finances. GOAL provide education on a wide range of topics so that participants are empowered to become leaders in their communities. According to a 10 year review of GOAL’s impact, girls who participated in GOAL reported improvements in their soft-skills, like confidence and time-management abilities, experienced significant increases in their health and hygiene knowledge, and experienced benefits to their fitness levels and mental health. GOAL has a clear lasting impact for challenging gender norms and promoting gender equity by providing girls with inspiration to complete their education, participate in sport, and engage in male-dominated careers.

More information on GOAL can be found in their 10 year review report. To see more on WomenWin, click here and for more on GRLS, click here.