Danmarks Idrætsforbund, Denmark: DIF get2sport

“This empowerment extends beyond sports, positively impacting various aspects of their lives.”

DIF get2sport is an initiative of the Danish Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation. Since 2005, they have worked to ensure strong and resourceful voluntary sports clubs in disadvantaged residential areas. 

The aim is to provide children and young people of ethnic minorities living these areas with the opportunity to be part of voluntary community life and engage in sports on equal terms as children and young people elsewhere in Denmark. 

Today, DIF get2sport is focusing more on girls, especially in areas with many ethnic minorities. Studies show that fewer ethnic minority girls join sports clubs compared to Danish girls. 

Just over a third of children and youths from disadvantaged areas engage in sport clubs which is below the national average. The number is even lower for girls. Therefore, DIF get2sport is deeply dedicated to attracting more girls of ethnic minorities to sports clubs. 

This involves a resource intensive, practical, and sustained effort as they face very different, contextual and unique challenges and barriers when it comes to including girls from different ethnic backgrounds in Danish sports clubs and communities.  

Thanks to their special focus on the girls' initiatives the number of girl members has substantially grown. In last two years the number of girls in the get2sport-supported sports clubs has increased to 1.534 members.

Reaching greater equality in sports and specifically more participation and representation of ethnic minority girls is essential for several reasons. it promotes social inclusion, and it creates a sense of belonging, teamwork, and friendship. All this through the power of sport.  

Girls from ethnic minority families sometimes face exclusion through various forms of social control. Sports can bridge these divides and create a sense of community which can be transformational. 

Sports empower girls, boosting their self-confidence and self-esteem. Creating a positive impact in various aspects of their lives. They become role models, proving that gender and ethnicity should not limit one's aspirations.

Verein für Fraueninteressen e.V., Germany: JUNO - a voice for refugee women: move + meet (integration through sport)

 “Growing through experience, trusting your own abilities, breaking down prejudices, meeting local women on equal footing, becoming part of society, all of this is JUNO.”  

Verein für Fraueninteressen e.V. from Munich, Germany, is an association which promotes equality between men and women as the basis of a democratic society. They aim to improve the living conditions of women in all situations. 

The association actively supports citizens in difficult financial, social, or family situations and aims at enabling participation in societal life and voluntary work.

Their programme - Juno - a voice for refugee women originated in the summer of 2015 when many refugees arrived in Germany. The aim was the creation of a welcoming and hospitable environment for refugee women. The programme brings together refugee and local women to get to know and learn from each other. 

Sport is the best way to do this. 

In Germany, the potential of sports to create social inclusion, empowerment, health promotion and social skills for refugee women is often-times ignored. Moreover, refugee women, usually face significant barriers when it comes to participation in sport. 

Sport activities, which most of us take for granted, is often something special for refugee women and girls. Most of them weren´t allowed any experience as it was often culturally denied. Many of the participating women have little experience in sport. 

That is why they started their sport activities, starting at a beginner’s level. And it soon witnessed a high demand and popularity. Starting with sports like cycling and swimming they could expand their offers to sports like yoga, climbing or boxing. 

Introducing them to sport and inspiring and empowering them can have enormous effect. Whether cycling, swimming, boxing, or climbing - there is hardly a better way to integrate than to discover one's own strength. "I've been in Germany for so long and today I'm happy for the first time“ (statement of an older participant after her first boxing lesson).

The sport activities help to boost self-confidence and physical and mental health. High performance is not the key, but new experiences, discovering the own strength, strengthening resilience, having fun, connecting with local women and ultimately being part of society. 

Ženski Nogometni Klub Osijek, Croatia: Princesses in Cleats

“We are proud that the "Princess in Cleats" programme met the need of girls who love football to join a women's football team, developing their skills and talent in the right way.”

The women's football club ŽNK Osijek was founded in 1990, and over the past 33 years it has become one of the most successful women's sports teams in the history of independent Croatia. They won 24 national championships and 19 cup titles. In recent years there have also been some successes in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.  

Women's football in Croatia follows the European trend. However, there are still huge differences between the best Croatian female and male football players. This is mostly reflected in the training conditions, and the availability of women's football as a sport in which girls can be involved from an early age. 

Because of this, ŽNK Osijek invests all available resources in the development of its football school, which is focused on developing the football skills of girls from the age of 8. 

The interest in the football school initiative increasingly attracts younger girls who could not be included in any of the existing age categories. That's how the idea for creating the -Princess in Cleats- programme was born.

ŽNK Osijek decided to start a project enabling girls aged 5 to 8 to train football in conditions adapted to their age, under the guidance of experts and free of charge. The goal is to make football accessible for as many girls as possible. Just the way it is available for boys. 

Despite initial difficulties, such as limited training infrastructure and financial resources, the club was able to set up Princess in Cleats, a comprehensive sports and recreational programme.

It provides girls the opportunity to play football and show them that it is a sport for everyone. It encourages a fair play behaviour and aims at preventing peer violence, as well as the integration of children with disabilities among the participants. The club also wants to raise awareness of the health benefits of physical activity and a promote a healthy development. 

Princess in Cleats is in its second season and has seen a growing participation numbers.