Making a Difference: Empowering girls through sports, life skills and gender awareness

[Ranjani K.Murthy]

This report presents findings from a Qualitative Evaluation of a sports-based adolescent girls and young women's empowerment programme in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai called the Goal Programme. The evaluation was commissioned by the Naz Foundation and Dasra. It argues that the Programme has strengthened self-esteem, leadership and life skills of adolescent girls and young women, and made a dent on ability to handle gender based violence, menstrual health, and financial literacy. Gender norms were breaking. Teachers and parents were enthusiastic about the programme. Young women (community sports coaches) were comparatively more empowered than adolescent girls (Peer Leaders and adolescent girls) . Sexual health and rights was more difficult to address than menstrual health. Handling male stakeholders (teachers, fathers, community leaders) was a challenge. Looking into the future, the programme could be deepened further, replicated by other stakeholders and policy implications could be drawn from schemes of Indian government towards empowerment of adolescent girls and young women.

For a detailed Executive Summary see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308779623_Making_a_Differe...   

Ranjani K Murthy and Pallavi Gupta

[Laura Gagliardone]

Dear Ranjani, thank you for sharing the main evaluation findings. I fully agree with you that sports can help empower women and girls because honest competition, discipline, and hard work equip people with the necessary skills to face the challenges of life. So I appreciate the initiative and I am pleased to read that the GoI has invested in such program. Wishing you a happy New Year by heart. Laura Gagliardone

[Paloma Lafuente Gómez]

Congrats! and thanks for sharing, it is sounds amazing