Although the concept of using sport as a strategy to help empower girls and women is gaining international momentum, there is a lack of practical information about how to actually do it. Successful girls’ sport programmes are not built by simply inviting girls to participate in existing boys’ teams or programmes. Girls face gender-specific and institutionalized barriers to participation, communicate differently and have unique motivations and expectations of their sporting experience. For example, a girl living in a poor household is often expected to care for younger siblings. A programme built to serve her needs, and the needs of her community, will have to accommodate the time schedule around her home duties, or provide childcare while she plays.
In an effort to begin this conversation of how to best do this work, Women Win launched the first International Guide to Designing Sport Programmes for Girls (GirlSportGuides.org). This open-source, wiki-style online guide is a collaboratively authored tool designed to inform organisations as they develop effective, sustainable, sport programmes that serve girls and women.
Sustainable programmes must be led by people who understand and address the key challenges facing girls and their families. One such challenge, and possibly the greatest barrier to global development, is gender-based violence. As a result, Women Win has spent the last two years gathering knowledge from the grassroots to address this critical issue, and with that, launched the GBV Guide (GirlSportGuides.org/GBV).
Thinking of starting a girls' sport programme? Already including girls in your organization, but not sure that you're fully accomodating them? This guide, created by 35 experts in the field, outlines much of what you need to know about creating safe, sustainable programmes for girls.
A girl needs a safe space to discuss experiences, violations and fears, and receive validation that her fears are okay. Furthermore, she needs a place to learn about her rights. Share what you know with with the guide community.