Global Goal 5 Accelerator

Driving progress towards gender equality

Driving progress towards gender equality

Every girl in the world has the potential to lead – herself, her peers and her community, but their potential is impeded by entrenched and widely tolerated gender inequity and discrimination.

Common Goal has teamed up with Soccer without Borders, Women Win and Fundación Selección Colombia to implement Global Goal 5 Accelerator, a framework to advance the efforts of grassroots organisations towards gender equity.

Global Goal 5 Accelerator aims to increase leadership, representation and participation of girls and women in football for good programmes, and ensure that every young girl has a female role model in their community. 

While they might be at different stages of their progress toward gender equity in their programmes and their overall set-up, participating organisations share the commitment to work towards making significant advancements on the topic; including achieving gender equality at the leadership level of the organisation.

Playing local, scoring global 

While girls and women face systemic barriers to playing football around the world, every community has different needs, challenges, and strengths. That is why the Global Goal 5 Accelerator creates a strategic framework and enables local grassroots organisations to adapt it to their reality.  

Organisations work together regionally to identify local challenges and develop strategies to overcome them. And global learning takes place by enabling exchange between regions.

The first implementation of Global Goal 5 Accelerator took place in East Africa in 2020, with the idea of initiating the project on the continent with the lowest girls’ participation on the planet.

Following the successful implemention in East Africa, Common Goal launched the second chapter in Latin America in 2021. The project is currently being implemented under the name "SOMOS Equidad", with the support of Common Goal Impact Sponsor adidas. 

The Global Goal 5 Accelerator framework has also been implemented in Europe (under the name adidas Breaking Barriers). In 2023, with the support of adidas, the project will expand Asia Pacific, ahead of the Women's World Cup 2023. 




The Goal

Equal participation, representation and leadership of women in football, inspiring and supporting every girl to dream big. 

The Strategy

Increase girls’ participation as well as the proportion of female coaches and leaders in grassroots football, ensuring that every girl has a female role model in her community.

How it Works

Create Gender Action Plans for change on the pitch, sidelines and within leadership of Football for Good organisations to accelerate gender equity.

Challenge

Gender inequity and discrimination are an obstacle for girls’ and young women’s leadership potential.
Stigma
In many communities around the world, football is still regarded as a “man’s sport”, hindering young women from participating
Lack of role models
Too few female role models on and beyond the pitch for young women to follow and be inspired by.
Girl's development hindered
Lack of self-esteem, self-confidence and information prevent young women from reaching their full potential and standing for themselves

Solution

Work against the mechanisms and dynamics that enforce gender inequity and discrimination, by:
Promoting female participation
Using the power of football to influence norms and attitudes surrounding female participation in the game at an individual, community, and global level.
Enabling female leadership
Promoting female leadership within football for good organisations and on the pitch.
Creating equal opportunities
Creating equal opportunities for girls and young women to play football, enabling them to understand their bodies as athletes.

Impact

Women and girls improve their lives through football all over the world.
Embedded gender equity
Organisations have a clear pathway to become gender-equitable and offer a positive environment for young women to develop their potential
Positive role models enable change
By creating more inclusive environments at every level, girls and young women have positive role models and opportunities to advance as leaders.
Young women can unfold their potential
Equal opportunities enable girls and young women to unfold their potential and shape society.
Challenge
Gender inequity and discrimination are an obstacle for girls’ and young women’s leadership potential.
Stigma
In many communities around the world, football is still regarded as a “man’s sport”, hindering young women from participating
Lack of role models
Too few female role models on and beyond the pitch for young women to follow and be inspired by.
Girl's development hindered
Lack of self-esteem, self-confidence and information prevent young women from reaching their full potential and standing for themselves
Solution
Work against the mechanisms and dynamics that enforce gender inequity and discrimination, by:
Promoting female participation
Using the power of football to influence norms and attitudes surrounding female participation in the game at an individual, community, and global level.
Enabling female leadership
Promoting female leadership within football for good organisations and on the pitch.
Creating equal opportunities
Creating equal opportunities for girls and young women to play football, enabling them to understand their bodies as athletes.
Impact
Women and girls improve their lives through football all over the world.
Embedded gender equity
Organisations have a clear pathway to become gender-equitable and offer a positive environment for young women to develop their potential
Positive role models enable change
By creating more inclusive environments at every level, girls and young women have positive role models and opportunities to advance as leaders.
Young women can unfold their potential
Equal opportunities enable girls and young women to unfold their potential and shape society.
Learn More

Explore more projects