Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Conflict victims - 
Gender Equality - 
Healthy lifestyle - 
Personal developmentContext
While there is no longer violent conflict in Kosovo, there is still mistrust among the many communities. These communities remain largely divided geographically, culturally and politically; the divides prevent many, and younger people in particular, from contemplating mutual efforts to build a shared social platform.
Women generally do sport in Kosovo, but few young women and girls play football. Those who do so face significant gender stereotyping, gender barriers and other issues including sexual harassment.
However, there is an opportunity to increase the number of young women and girls playing football in Kosovo. Sport is considered a driver of social change and community development and a tool for fostering peace and understanding. This project intends to demonstrate how football is a powerful instrument to strengthen social ties and promote peace, tolerance, solidarity and understanding, while increasing the number of women and girls actively involved in sport.
Project goals
- Increase the number of women and girls playing football in Kosovo
- Harness the power of football to promote sustainable, peaceful relations among girls in all communities in Kosovo
- Establish girls’ football teams in schools in coordination with municipal sports and education departments
- Design a local communication strategy to empower women and girls through football
- Promote gender equality in football to break down barriers and stereotypes
- Improve the leadership, communication and teamwork skills of the participating girls in different communities
- Promote togetherness and the benefits of sport for mental health
- Promote sustainable development goals through joint activities and mentoring sessions
Project content
The Prishtina Girls’ Football Team project provides a safe platform for girls to play football and promotes gender equality. The main focus of the project is to increase the number of women and girls playing football, thereby facilitating trust and tolerance between the various ethnic communities in Kosovo. This is achieved by organising matches and tournaments, with women and girls from all communities playing in mixed teams, including those with disabilities and those from rural areas and living in SOS Kindergartens, together with players already registered with the team.
Training on the UEFA Child Safeguarding Policy will be given to physical education teachers and the project’s community coordinators.
Awareness-raising activities
- Screening videos on a variety of subjects, including preventing bullying and gender stereotyping in football, promoting children’s rights and the role of sport in diversity, development and constructing peace
- Marking international advocacy days such as Children’s Day and the International Day for Development and Peace with joint tournaments
- Promoting a football tournament in Brezovica to bring various ethnic communities together to play and communicate through the language of football
The next step after setting up girls’ teams is to establish a primary school league in Prishtina in conjunction with the municipality department of sports.
Partner
