Our Philosophy

Girls First

Girls' empowerment is crucial for achieving gender equality in underprivileged communities. By prioritizing girls' well-being and education, we can create a truly transformative experience and an inclusive environment that benefits not only the girls but also the boys and the broader community (United Nations, 2022). The positive impacts can be categorized as follows:

For girls:
rewarding

The opportunity to learn and play freely in a safe environment, which fosters their overall development and self-confidence (Brady & Burroway, 2012).
Grow not only as athletes but as individuals as well, developing essential life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and resilience (Saavedra, 2021).
The chance to excel in areas traditionally dominated by men, breaking gender stereotypes and serving as role models for other girls (United Nations Children's Fund, 2018).
Chance to become local change drivers and leaders, advocating for gender equality and empowering their communities (Boudet et al., 2013)

For boys:
educational

The opportunity to learn and play freely in a safe environment, which fosters their overall development and self-confidence (Brady & Burroway, 2012).
Grow not only as athletes but as individuals as well, developing essential life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and resilience (Saavedra, 2021).
The chance to excel in areas traditionally dominated by men, breaking gender stereotypes and serving as role models for other girls (United Nations Children's Fund, 2018).
Chance to become local change drivers and leaders, advocating for gender equality and empowering their communities (Boudet et al., 2013).

For community:
transformative

Uncovering the hidden potential in girls, contributing to the overall development and progress of the community (Bandiera et al., 2020).
Witnessing the transformative power of sports for development, promoting physical and mental well-being, as well as social cohesion (Schulenkorf et al., 2016).
Acknowledging gender equality and women in leadership, challenging traditional gender roles and promoting a more equitable society (Beaman et al., 2012).

Why Girls

Alleviating suffering: Numerous global reports have highlighted that girls and women suffer disproportionately from poverty, gender-based violence, and gender-biased attitudes that perpetuate their marginalization and oppression. Addressing these issues is essential for reducing their suffering and promoting gender equality and women in leadership.
Improving well-being: Extensive research indicates that girls' well-being and empowerment are critical for achieving progress in various developmental outcomes. An educated girl is more likely to delay marriage and childbirth, focus on social change, enjoy greater income and productivity, and raise fewer, healthier, and better-educated children. Investing in girls' education and empowerment can have far-reaching positive impacts, also positively contributing to SDG 8, which is decent work and economic growth.
Effecting change: Girls' participation in societies has gained increased recognition in international development dialogues. When given opportunities, girls catalyze powerful social and economic changes within their communities and nations.
Encouraging leadership: While many girls' programs worldwide address educational inequality, few prioritize leadership development. Building leadership skills helps girls capitalize on their education, express their opinions and ideas, take action on important issues, make informed decisions, and work towards their dreams and goals. Fostering girls' leadership is crucial for their personal growth and societal impact.

Why Girls in Sport

Challenging gender stereotypes

In some parts of the world, women and girls are restricted from participating in male-dominated activities like sports. Such beliefs can foster a sense of inferiority and inhibit girls from realizing their full potential. Addressing gender stereotypes is essential for promoting girls' empowerment and gender equality. This also enforces SDG 10 which advocates for reduced inequalities

Building confidence

Engaging in sports requires assertiveness and decision-making skills. Studies have shown that girls who play sports report increased confidence and self-esteem levels. Activities like Ultimate Frisbee can be an excellent avenue for sports for development, contributing to life skills training and leadership development among girls. This will also enable gender equality which is the 5th SDG.

Increasing Education and employment rates

Studies show a direct correlation between girls' participation in sports and higher education and employment rates. Notably, 80% of the female executives at Fortune 500 companies identified themselves as former "tomboys" who played sports (Stevenson, 2010). This highlights the crucial role of girls' education and sports for development in driving economic growth and women's empowerment.

Why Underprivileged Girls in Sport

Achieving developmental goals: Studies show a direct correlation between girls' participation in sports and higher education and employment rates. Notably, 80% of the female executives at Fortune 500 companies identified themselves as former "tomboys" who played sports (Stevenson, 2010). This highlights the crucial role of girls' education and sports for development in driving economic growth and women's empowerment. Stevenson's (2010) study analyzed U.S. Census data and found that an increase in sports participation opportunities for girls, due to the implementation of Title IX, was associated with an increase in employment rates and higher wages for women.
Bypassing financial barriers: Organizations like CARE (care.org) place special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, when equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Several communities may lack the financial resources required for formal education. In such situations, informal education through sports can impart social skills and value-based learning. Underprivileged communities can greatly benefit from life skills training through sports, fostering women's empowerment and contributing to an inclusive future.
Influencing shift in attitudes: Evaluations of girls' educational initiatives have found potential to influence shifts in community attitudes. In Bangladesh, girls gained confidence, advocated against early marriage, and worked with boys to address sexual harassment, leading to reduced abuse and harassment (Sportsmetrics, 2018). In India, girls became more vocal, participating in public performances and raising their voices against discriminatory practices (Sportsmetrics, 2018). Blinde et al. (1994) explored how sports provided a context for challenging gender stereotypes, building self-confidence, and developing leadership skills, which could translate into broader social empowerment for women.

Why Girls Should Coach Boys

Learning through teaching

Advocates of the 'learning through teaching' method believe that teaching a sport will ensure a deeper understanding of the sport itself and would increase one's confidence while engaging in it. This approach promotes girls' empowerment and leadership development by allowing girls to take on instructive roles, enhancing their life skills training (Galvan et al., 2018).

Reversing patriarchy

Several households in India follow a patriarchal structure wherein the women of the family are subordinate to the men of the household and hence believe that they are inferior to men (Dhar, 2020). Urging girls to take on positions of authority will allow them to reverse such ingrained notions about themselves. This shift contributes significantly to challenging gender stereotypes and fostering gender-sensitive leadership, promoting gender equality (Beaman et al., 2009).

Discovering capability

A survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed that Indian women spend 577% more minutes doing unpaid labor when compared to men (OECD, 2019). As a result, women settle into the idea that they are destined for such thankless efforts and undermine their own potential. Giving girls the opportunity to coach boys would help them realize their capabilities outside of the domestic sphere and would encourage girls to see themselves as equally capable when compared to boys (if not more than capable).

Garnering respect

A study by Gneezy et al. (2009) showed that decision-making power was more equally shared among the matrilineal Khasi people when compared to a patrilinear counterpart. Experiencing girls in leadership positions would engender larger amounts of respect from boys and would drive home the idea that women have the right to occupy positions which demand such respect. This promotes social change and supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by fostering a more inclusive future (United Nations, 2015).

References

Bandiera, O., Buehren, N., Burgess, R., Goldstein, M., Gulesci, S., Rasul, I., & Sulaiman, M. (2020). Women's empowerment in action: Evidence from a randomized control trial in Africa. American Economic Review, 110(5), 1238-1277.
Beaman, L., Duflo, E., Pande, R., & Topalova, P. (2012). Female leadership raises aspirations and educational attainment for girls: A policy experiment in India. Science, 335(6068), 582-586.
Blinde, E. M., Greendorfer, S. L., & Shanker, R. J. (1994). Differential media coverage of men's and women's intercollegiate basketball: Reflection of gender ideology. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 18(2), 98-114.
Boudet, A. M. M., Petesch, P., & Turk, C. (2013). On norms and agency: Conversations about gender equality with women and men in 20 countries. The World Bank.
Brady, M., & Burroway, R. (2012). Targeting youth for inclusion: A case study from Liberia. Equity & Economic Growth BRIEFs, 4, 1-4.
Chawla, G., & Berman, P. (2019). Cambridge Elements: Theories of the Policy Process: Gender and policy processes: Implications for the implementation of the SDGs. Cambridge University Press.
Dhar, D. (2020). Patriarchy and how it manifests itself in the Indian context. The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-commentary/patriarchy-and-how-it-manifests-itself-in-the-indian-context/
Duflo, E. (2012). Women empowerment and economic development. Journal of Economic Literature, 50(4), 1051-1079.
Galvan, C., Spatzier, A., & Juvonen, J. (2018). Peer coaching as an intervention to increase student-athlete instruction at a high school running program. The Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 30(3), 264-279.
Gerry, S., Muraszkiewicz, J., & Vavouras, N. (2019). Coaching games at the grassroots level. Rowman & Littlefield.
Gneezy, U., Leonard, K. L., & List, J. A. (2009). Gender differences in competition: Evidence from a matrilineal and a patriarchal society. Econometrica, 77(5), 1637-1664.
Klugman, J., Hanmer, L., Twig, S., Hasan, T., McCleary-Sills, J., & Santamaria, J. (2014). Voice and agency: Empowering women and girls for shared prosperity. The World Bank.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019). Gender data portal. https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=GIDDB2019
Saavedra, M. (2009). Dilemmas and opportunities in gender and sport-in-development. In R. Levermore & A. Beacom (Eds.), Sport and international development (pp. 124-155). Palgrave Macmillan
Saavedra, M. (2021). The power of sport to drive gender equity. In W. D. Mitten (Ed.), Women in sports leadership: Breaking biases, exploring truths, pathways and possibilities (pp. 97-121). Routledge.
Sammet, K. (2018). Women's opportunities and challenges in sports leadership. In L. J. Burton & S. Leberman (Eds.), Woman in sport leadership: Research and practice for change (pp. 9-24). Routledge.
Schulenkorf, N., Sherry, E., & Rowe, K. (2016). Sport for development: An integrated literature review. Journal of Sport Management, 30(1), 22-39.
Sportsmetrics. (2018). Evaluation of sports for development initiatives. https://sportsmetrics.org/evaluation-of-sports-for-development-initiatives
Stevenson, B. (2010). Beyond the classroom: Using Title IX to measure the return to high school sports. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 92(2), 284-301.
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
United Nations. (2022). Girls' empowerment. https://www.un.org/en/observances/girl-child-day
United Nations Children's Fund. (2018). Girls' education and gender equality. https://www.unicef.org/education/girls-education

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