Using rugby for the advancement and integration of girls
A project managed by Hippos Camp France
Context
Gender inequality is a major issue in Mali. Girls face difficulties when it comes to gaining access to quality education; fewer girls than boys are enrolled in school and they are more likely to drop out of school. They also have to overcome several barriers to their participation in sport.
In 2016, the Hippos Camp France association, founded by Aly Diarra, a former Hippos XV rugby club player and coach, launched a programme in several Malian clubs to encourage more girls to play rugby. The goal is to use rugby as a tool to improve the self-esteem and inclusion of girls in Malian society, while promoting their access to quality education and training.
Goals
- Promote rugby in Mali and, in particular, the participation of girls
- Promote and highlight the role of girls in Malian society
- Foster girls’ access to quality education and training
- Highlight girls’ leadership capacities
Activities
- Training an expert to increase participation in rugby among girls in Mali
- Coaching rugby club trainers in Mali on the specific features of women’s sport
- Monitoring the education and health of girls
- Establishing agreements with parents to encourage them to keep their daughters in the clubs and in school
- Organising socio-cultural meetings to promote the playing of rugby by girls
Watch a video about the activities carried out in Mali (some parts in French)
Impacts
- 80 girls playing rugby in the five partner clubs involved in the project
- 5 women’s rugby team coaches trained on the specific features of women’s rugby
Funding
- Project cost: around €13,500
- Project supported in 2019 by the Agence Française de Développement and the European Guild
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Photo credits : @HipposCampFrance
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