Ms Maria Bobenrieth took the audience through a journey of Women Win with a video presentation at Maidan Summit 2011. Sport can play a unique role by empowering girls and women with a range of social assets, new skills and access to resources and opportunities, she said. Through sport, girls can benefit economically, emotionally and achieve self-determination. They can challenge and expand norms pertaining to what is acceptable for girls and women. Sport consortiums like federations, different communities and development sector organisations should come together, supporting the fact that sport gives the girls an ability to practice leadership, and transforms the way they think about themselves and the way communities see them. Most importantly, it builds social networks. “You have to design for what you want to be the outcome,” she said, further explaining that adding girls in boys’ sport programmes will not work, and hence there is a need of programmes which are specifically designed for and by girls. Ms Bobenrieth concluded on a beautiful note. “At the end of the day, girls are not a problem; they are actually the answer or solution to it,” she said.

1. GIRL POWER THROUGH SPORTS
DESIGNING, DEVELOPING AND DELIVERING RIGHTS BASED QUALITY SPORTS
PROGRAMMES TO EMPOWER GIRLS
1

2. WHAT ARE THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS
YOUR GIRLS
EXPERIENCE IN
PARTICIPATING IN
SPORTS PROGRAMS?
2

3. GTS India

4. UNIVERSAL CHALLENGES
4
#1: Misperceptions / prejudices about girls & sports
#2: Scheduling and/or home duties
#3: Menstruation
#4: Fear that sports will cause the loss of virginity and/or infertility
#5: Lack of government / institutional support
#6: Economic constraints
#7: Personal safety
#8: Lack of sports facilities and fields
#9: Lack of women role models
#10: Lack of positive media coverage

5. 1. Break into small groups
2. Prioritize the barriers – in your community what are
the top three?
3. Share promising practices you currently use or could
to address these barriers?
4. Report back
5
SMALL GROUP EXERCISE:

6. LIFE SKILLS FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS
6

7. KEY ADOLESCENCE LIFE SKILLS
7
(UNICEF - WHO – UNESCO)
1. COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL
• INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• NEGOTIATION/REFUSAL
• EMPATHY
• COOPERATION AND TEAMWORK
• ADVOCACY
2. DECISION-MAKING AND CRITICAL THINKING
• DECISION MAKING / PROBLEM SOLVING
• CRITICAL THINKING
3. COPING AND SELF-MANAGEMENT
• INCREASING INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL
• MANAGING FEELINGS
• MANAGING STRESS

8. KEY ISSUES SPECIFIC TO ADOLESCENT GIRLS
• BODY IMAGE
• HYGIENE AND HEALTH
• SEXUALITY AND REPRODUCTION
• GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND ABUSE
• DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP
• FINANCIAL LITERACY
• RIGHTS AND RESOURCES (MAPPING YOUR COMMUNITY)
KEY ADOLESCENT LIFE SKILLS
(UNICEF - WHO – UNESCO)
1) COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
2) DECISION-MAKING AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
3) COPING AND SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS

9. 9
SMALL GROUP EXERCISE:
Discuss the following questions & report back:
1) What life skills are most important for girls in your
programs?
2) How do you link them to sports?
3) How do you know if what you are trying to get the
girls to learn they are putting in practice?