Global Goal 5 Accelerator

Driving towards gender equality

Driving towards gender equality

There are more than 600 million girls in the world today. Every one of these girls has the potential to lead – herself, her peers and her community. This potential is impeded by the fact that gender inequity and discrimination are deeply entrenched and widely tolerated throughout the world. Global Goal 5 demands gender equality and creates a roadmap to achieve it, one that football is uniquely suited to lead.

Followed by nearly half of the world’s population, football has a powerful influence on norms and attitudes at an individual, community, and global level. Moreover, participation in football gives girls an opportunity to understand their bodies as athletes, build their confidence and voice as leaders, and access a community of supportive peers and mentors.

Common Goal has teamed up with Soccer without Borders and Women Win to implement Global Goal 5 Accelerator, a collective project to advance the efforts of grassroots organisations towards gender equality.

The programme will focus on increasing girls’ participation as well as the proportion of female coaches in Football for Good community programmes, ensuring that every girl participant has a female athlete role model in their community.

The first phase of Global Goal 5 Accelerator took place in East Africa, with the idea of initiating the project on the continent with the lowest girls’ participation on the planet. The next phase will be implemented in Latin America under the banner of "SOMOS Equidad".

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

The Goal

A world where every girl has the opportunity to develop her full potential.

The Strategy

Increase girls’ participation as well as the proportion of female coaches and leaders in Football for Good community programmes, 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

The potential of girls and young women to lead is impeded by gender inequity and discrimination that is deeply entrenched and tolerated throughout the world.
Stigma around women playing football
In many communities around the world, football is still regarded as a “man’s sport”, hindering young women from participating
Lack of female role models
Too few female role models on and beyond the pitch for young women to follow and be inspired by.
Young women hindered in development
Lack of self-esteem and self-confidence among girls and young women, which prevent them from reaching their full potential.

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

Organisations have Gender Action Plans to create change within their work and their communities
Global Goal 5 embedded into work of organisations
Organisations have a clear pathway to become gender-equitable and offer a positive environment for girls and young women to develop their potential.
Positive role models enable change
By reducing barriers and creating more inclusive environments at every level, girls and 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
The potential of girls and young women to lead is impeded by gender inequity and discrimination that is deeply entrenched and tolerated throughout the world.
Stigma around women playing football
In many communities around the world, football is still regarded as a “man’s sport”, hindering young women from participating
Lack of female role models
Too few female role models on and beyond the pitch for young women to follow and be inspired by.
Young women hindered in development
Lack of self-esteem and self-confidence among girls and young women, which prevent them from reaching their full potential.
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
Organisations have Gender Action Plans to create change within their work and their communities
Global Goal 5 embedded into work of organisations
Organisations have a clear pathway to become gender-equitable and offer a positive environment for girls and young women to develop their potential.
Positive role models enable change
By reducing barriers and creating more inclusive environments at every level, girls and 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.

Impact in the Field

Global Goal 5 Accelerator was launched in February 2020 in East Africa with the participation of 9 Football for Good organisations. 

9
organisations
5
countries
792
hours of training
156
coach training hours
+160k
invested

Common Goal has allocated a total sum of €166,327.00 since the launch of the project in February 2020 in East Africa. 

On the Pitch

88%

 of organisations invested more financial/material resources into girls’ programming.

88%

increased the engagement of girls in their programmes.

On the Sidelines

88%

of organisations increased the number of female coaches engaged.

75%

of organisations added new curriculum or trainings related to coaching girls. 

In Organisations

100%

of organisations improved the visibility of girls and women in their communications.

63%

of organisations agree that they made progress on their Gender Action Plan on organisational-level priorities.

On the Pitch
88%

 of organisations invested more financial/material resources into girls’ programming.

88%

increased the engagement of girls in their programmes.

On the Sidelines
88%

of organisations increased the number of female coaches engaged.

75%

of organisations added new curriculum or trainings related to coaching girls. 

In Organisations
100%

of organisations improved the visibility of girls and women in their communications.

63%

of organisations agree that they made progress on their Gender Action Plan on organisational-level priorities.

16
Action Plans Implemented

8 Coach Action Plans and 8 Organisational Gender Action Plans, including workshops, football camps, and tournaments.

"We need to have more female role models for the girls to see, to inspire them. If we start with this generation, they can shape a new future with greater gender equality."
Catherine Kabanyana, Soccer Without Borders Uganda
Learn More

Explore more projects