She plays!
Context
In Zambia, there are fewer women than men reaching higher education and participation in the labour market (UNDP, 2016). Adolescent girls and young women face many economic vulnerabilities including lack of access to economic resources; assets and income-generating options; lack of agency in shaping their own lives; pressures to contribute to household income at all costs; limited opportunities for employment, training and education due to poverty, early pregnancy or school dropout.
In this context, the initiative “She plays!˝ uses sport as a tool for women’s economic empowerment.
Goals
- To improve young women access to more livelihood opportunities and pathways to income generation
- To help adolescent girls and young women from low-income communities make informed life choices and participate in communities activities
- To challenge gender norms
- To improve adolescents and young women health
- To reduce the gap between men and women in the sports sector
Activities
- Weekly sport and life skills education
- Facilitators/Peer leaders’ workshop
- Gender workshops for Partners and facilitators
- Sports-based community events with at least 50 participants (Boys & Girls) will be delivered and will allow NOWSPAR to engage other partners, including government, sport and non-sport partners, to build sport capacity and strengthen their networks
- Economic Empowerment session with 200 young women (18 and 30yrs)
Impact
- Adolescent girls will develop life skills and leadership ability
- Young women will be economically empowered through sport
- Young women will become strong female role models who will raise awareness and support the development of a more girl-friendly sport environment