Eradicate all forms of inequalities through Sports

Sports has been recognized as a powerful tool for empowering individuals, fostering personal growth, and building communities. In recent years, the impact of sports on empowering women has gained significant attention. From promoting physical health to enhancing self-esteem and fostering leadership skills, sports provide a platform for women to challenge societal norms and break down barriers.

At Green- Kenya, we use sports as a vehicle for change to create a more inclusive and equal society. We will discuss how and why we use sports as a tool for women's empowerment.

How are we empowering women through sports?

1. We encourage girls to participate in sports at an early age by highlighting the fun, teamwork, and personal growth that can come from playing sports.
2. We ensure that girls receive quality coaching from knowledgeable and supportive coaches who understand the unique needs and challenges female athletes face.
3. We establish safe spaces where girls can participate in sports without fear of discrimination, harassment, or abuse.
4. 1. We showcase the achievements and stories of women in sports to challenge gender stereotypes and show that girls can excel in any athletic endeavor.
   2. We help girls develop life skills through sports, such as teamwork, communication, discipline, and resilience.
   
   Why are we empowering women through sports?
   
   1. To foster leadership and teamwork skills:  As women participate in team sports, they learn the importance of effective communication, collaboration, and collective success. These qualities are transferable to various spheres of life, equipping women to become effective leaders, decision-makers, and change agents within their communities.
   2. To promote physical and mental well-being: Participation in sports improves physical fitness and promotes mental health. It provides an outlet for stress, boosts self-esteem, and helps alleviate anxiety and depression. By prioritizing their physical and mental health, women are better equipped to face life's challenges and lead fulfilling lives.
   3. To create opportunities and challenge gender disparities: As female athletes gain visibility, the demand for gender equality in sports increases. More sponsorships, media coverage, and investment flow into women's sports, providing a platform for women to compete at the highest level.
   4. To enhance eco-literacy. We recognize that women's empowerment and environmental sustainability are interconnected as an organization. By harnessing the potential of environmental games, we can create inclusive spaces that empower women to participate actively in shaping a more sustainable future.
   
   In conclusion, empowering young girls through sports fosters personal growth, social transformation, and leadership skills. Sports challenge norms, boost confidence, and promote well-being. Environmental education within sports enhances sustainability awareness, creating strong, resilient, eco-conscious women. Supporting and investing in such programs promotes holistic development and environmental stewardship.

My name is Eurelia Andabwa. I joined Green-Kenya last November as a women's up coordinator.  It has been a nice experience all along first because I used to work with children, especially girls, so working in this environment has been easy for me to maneuver, second being one of the beneficiaries of these kinds of programs, I knew what to touch on when it came to the women's up sessions knowing very well that it is focusing on adolescent girls that campaigns about female empowerment.Green-Kenya has really given me a good platform to showcase my skills and a chance of getting new skills.

Working as a women 's up coordinator managing the session alone last year was a bit tough on my end but this year I am privileged to have a women's up team that I am working with. They have been of great help so far , we have been able to come up with session plans together, coming up with ideas on what activity we should do before the session  to get their concentration to class or session. Also when it comes to the off field and on field session they have been of great help where by when one is conducting the session the other are helping on checking on the girls who maybe for example are having difficulties in spellings or maybe we are experimenting something and not all are getting so the go round helping, The women up team has made work easier for me cause now i don't have to conduct the session alone we mostly alternate.

The program promotes health, safety, education and leadership of girls and passionate advocates around the community which touches on the UNSDGs number 5, Gender Equality. We teach the girls to stand up against harassment, be aware of gender stereotypes and also we touch on health and behaviors that are happening in our community as we all know when you educate a woman you educate the whole nation because child health improves when women and girls have equal access to education .

Working with the girls has been a great opportunity because even most of the time we learn while we teach. The girls' response for the program has been the greatest highlight of our day to day activity, it has really encouraged the coaches to even deliver more quality sessions despite the challenges we face on a daily basis. We have also seen great progress when it comes to openness, when we started the session the girls were shy to open up but nowadays they are willing to share what is happening in their lives and we as coaches are able to respond positively to those that we can at the moment. There has been a great massive growth in terms of numbers and also knowledge wise.

Asante sana from Nairobi