Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Employability - 
Gender Equality - 
Personal developmentContext
South Africa is an extremely unsafe place for girls, where incidents of gender-based violence are amongst the highest in the world. On average in South Africa in 2025, more than 15,000 women were assaulted every three months, and just under 1,000 were murdered. Furthermore, public transport is unreliable and riddled with similar safety issues. South Africa also has one of the highest levels of wealth inequality in the world; the World Bank reports that 55% of the country lives in poverty.
A study in the UK highlighted that 43% of girls drop out of sporting activities by the time they have gone through puberty. Of those girls, 68% drop out because they feel judged and 43% because they feel unsafe. Considering the heightened danger in South Africa, that percentage will no doubt be even higher there.
The environment described above, coupled with an incredibly small number of sports clubs created with girls as a priority, means that it is nearly impossible for the majority of girls in South Africa to attend safe, supportive and professionally run sporting communities.
Moreover, Cape Town specifically suffers from deep-rooted gang culture as well as spatial and housing inequality – an ongoing effect of apartheid’s Group Areas Act, which forcibly removed people of colour from certain areas.
Project goals
Overall objective:
Break down the barriers that exclude girls from sport and use football as a tool to empower young women.
Specific goals:
- Provide a safe and professional football environment for young girls across Cape Town
- Create pathways for young girls to grow both as footballers and as individuals
- Upskill female coaches and referees
- Build strong relationships with players’ families to ensure a strong supportive network for each girl
Project content
- Provide professional coaching to girls three times a week
- Ensure safe transport home after dark for all those who need it
- Provide adequate sporting equipment and apparel
- Ensure ongoing mentorship from coaches and older players
- Offer after-school tutoring and ensure that players are supported in their studies
- Offer at least ten educational scholarships per year
- Provide female coaches and referees with funded courses and practical experiences throughout the season
- Provide girls with nutritional meals on game days
- Offer regular team-building activities and an annual friendship-building camp
Partners
