Changing the Game Sports for Gender Equity and Ending Child Marriage

Theme:

Social Change

On November 5th – 6th 2019, Pro Sport Development and Girls Not Brides held a national consultation to understand how sport can be used as a medium to combat gender-based discrimination. The consultation, held in New Delhi, India saw a total of 68 representatives from a variety of civil society and non-governmental organisations from 16 states in India, along with representatives from Nepal and Bangladesh, gather to share experiences of using sport as an approach to support gender equity.

What is the purpose of the project?

(1) Learn and understand sports-based strategies that can be used to fight against early, child and forced marriages, especially in relation to girls and young women.

(2) Deliberate about the key role that sports can play in challenging gender stereotypes and promoting the mobility and agency of women and girls.

This unique consultation brought together stories from the field, which highlighted the actual impact that sport has been able to make on real individuals. Youth leaders, facilitators and practitioners from different areas and organisations came together and shared their personal stories of change and their experiences of working with sport in school and community settings, both in rural and urban areas. These stories invigorated the participants and were an affirmation of the power of sport in achieving gender justice.

What were the enablers that proved successful in your project?

(1) Lack of opportunities for key stakeholders from civil society at the grassroots to come together and deliberate the impact of using sport with girls and young women.

(2) Lack of advocacy on the benefits of girls and women's participation in sport, especially in relation to tackling gender inequalities.

What impact did your project have?

(1) Greater visibility to the impact of girls and women's participation in sport at the grassroots in India.

(2) Key findings from the field to support advocacy efforts with important stakeholders to promote the participation of girls and women in sport in India.

What were the outcomes for women?

Compilation of a list of recommendations for the way forward for using sport to with girls and young women, especially from the perspective of ending gender-based discrimination.