With more than 821,000 young women and girls reached since Goal began, there are so many stories to tell. Here, we shine the spotlight on two projects: collaborations between Women Win and local implementing partners.
Building confidence through sport in PakistanRight to Play (RTP)
Playing sport can change lives. Yet while sport is increasingly recognised as a tool for empowering young people in developing markets, they are often designed for – and dominated by – men and boys.
Goal was designed with a focus on sport and its ability to uplift young women and girls. In Pakistan, where only 13 per cent of girls are still in school by ninth grade,3 RTP is demonstrating just how influential sport can be in transforming lives.
First launched in 2016, RTP has since expanded its reach via Goal to more communities in Karachi and in Islamabad. More than 22,000 young women and girls from communities in slum areas on the outskirts of these two cities have since graduated from Goal. As well as the core modules – which already involve games and sport as part of delivery – RTP further engages participants with additional sport modules (football, volleyball, basketball, and cricket), and special Goal events and tournaments. So, in addition to critical financial education in the curriculum, participants learn about teamwork and decision making – and grow in confidence.
3Human Rights Watch, “Shall I Feed My Daughter, or Educate Her?” Barriers to Girls’ Education in Pakistan
An RTP success story
Fatima from Lyari tried to get into football in the past, but it came at the expense of her schooling. After joining Goal however, she was able to thrive in both areas. Fatima’s teachers watched her build an understanding of the value of time and money and gain decision-making skills via the Goal modules.
Ripple effects and shifting mindsets in NigeriaYouth Empowerment Foundation (YEF)
Peer-to-peer learning has huge benefits in engaging young people from low-income backgrounds. Not only does it help build confidence and closer bonds between coach and student, it can also empower young coaches to become community leaders.
Many Goal projects rely on peer-to-peer models, and YEF is a noteworthy example. The NGO has been implementing Goal for more than a decade in Nigeria (where 62 per cent of out-of-school children are girls).4 Emboldened by its use of a peer-to-peer model in applying Goal, by 2021 YEF had reached over 150,000 girls across 47 secondary schools.
Building scale via peer-to-peer learning is not the only way YEF has been reaching beyond the individual: for example, the NGO has regular meetings with local government officials. This helps strengthen relationships to ensure future support – and helps shift mindsets around women beyond domestic roles.
Efforts to reach further into communities are set to continue. YEF plans to reach an additional 15,000 girls in 2022 via ‘Goal Air’, a radio programme that started in 2020 to promote Goal values through non-physical media.
4Guardian Newspapers, 62 per cent of Nigeria’s out-of-school children are girls
A YEF success story
Thirteen-year-old Miracle lost the use of her legs at the age of 10. But thanks to Goal, she was able to focus on achieving her dreams, rather than on her disability. She now supports other vulnerable girls in her community through their Goal journeys.