Sport promotes equality since the same rules apply to everyone. Yet, gender imbalances in the sports industry remain considerable. Sport is a prime lever to accelerate gender equity as it confronts gender norms both on and off the field. Female participation in sports challenges common stereotypes and social roles associated with women. On top of their low representation in sports, very few women are in decision-making positions such as head coach, club manager or referee. They are less represented in management, marketing, management, or other disciplines in the sports industry.

“Teaming Up: African LeadHERs meet BAL4HER” launched by Speak Up Africa and the Basketball African League (BAL) uses sport as a catalyst for gender equity and social and economic transformation in Africa. This six-month mentorship program pairs 6 young African female athletes from Senegal, Egypt and Rwanda with experienced female leaders in the sports industry. The mentees are coached by mentors to strengthen their skills and knowledge on issues such as gender inequality in sport, mental health, public speaking, and storytelling.

Key objectives:

• Create opportunities to educate boys and men about the benefits of gender equity through sport.
• Advocate for gender equity in and through sports in communications.
• Strengthen and develop comprehensive strategies for the advancement of gender equity
• Expand opportunities to combine sport with life skills training for girls.