Population Council Research that makes a difference

Leveling the Playing Field: Empowering Girls through Innovative Sports Programs

Girls and sports programs in the developing world: Council program experience
and resources

Over the past 15 years the Population Council has provided thought leadership and evidence-based research on the role of sports in girls' lives. The Council has pioneered programs on girls' sports; integrated sports into reproductive health, livelihoods, and education programs; and conducted research to evaluate the impact of these life-altering interventions.

The Council has worked with a diverse range of sports-related programs for girls in Egypt, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, and Zambia. Our research indicates that well-designed sports programs can:

• Provide safe space in which to learn new skills and build assets
• Challenge traditional scripts for girls and break down gender stereotypes
• Increase girls' visible, active presence in the public sphere
• Transform the ways girls think about themselves, and the way families and communities perceive them
• Improve girls' knowledge about their rights, bodies, and health
• Build leadership skills and offer opportunities to practice leadership
• Expand girls' social support networks and access to community resources
• Provide girls with female mentors and role models
  
  

Population Council researchers collaborate with a range of partners, including sports organizations, women's groups, international development agencies, and ministries of youth to help shape and evaluate innovative programs for adolescent girls.

Council researchers serve as strategy and measurement advisors, as well as serve on technical advisory boards for a number of organizations, including: Women Win, Right to Play, Grassroots Soccer, Standard Chartered Bank, and Women's Sport Foundation, among others.

We invite you to learn more about the Population Council's work on girls and sports through the projects/resources tab above and our updated sports brief, "Leveling the playing field: Building girls' sports programs and creating new opportunities."

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About the Population Council
The Population Council confronts critical health and development issues—from stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees.

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For additional information, contact:

Martha Brady, senior associate | bio | email | +1 212 339 0618