By Alieu Jallow
On Saturday, August 31st, 2024, Ballers 4 Life and BK West teamed up to launch the Girls Can Play Initiative, a groundbreaking program designed to empower young girls in football and develop them into future leaders in the sport.
The six-month fellowship, running from September 2024 to March 2025, will take place in The Gambia and includes an international sports cultural exchange in partnership with Ballers 4 Life and Sportjugend Frankfurt.
During the launch, Lamin Bojang, a facilitator of the initiative, highlighted that the project is designed to empower young women in football by providing them with comprehensive leadership and German language skills training and addressing sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in sports. The goal is to build a generation of female leaders who can advocate for gender equity and foster safe, inclusive environments within the football community.
“BK West United aims to build a generation of female leaders who can advocate for gender equity and foster safe, inclusive environments within the football community,” Bojang said.
The fellowship will culminate in an all-girls football festival and conference in Frankfurt, Germany, in April 2025. This event will provide participants with the opportunity to showcase their growth and contribute to global discussions on women’s sports.
Key objectives of the initiative include equipping the fellows with essential leadership skills, fostering self-confidence and decision-making abilities, providing basic German language training to enhance communication skills and cultural understanding, and educating the fellows on the prevalence and impact of SGBV in sports. The international sports cultural exchange will further enhance the participants’ understanding of global sports practices and broaden their networks.
Adama Jarju, the founder and CEO of Yakarr Football Academy, emphasized that despite recent progress, discrimination based on gender identity continues to affect female athletes. She urged the girls to be resilient and self-reliant and to pursue their dreams while being mindful of the challenges that women in sports face.
“Despite progress, women still participate in sports less frequently than men, largely due to sociocultural barriers. Issues such as lack of funding, insufficient media coverage, neglect of female players’ health, underrepresentation in leadership roles, gender-based violence, and mental health concerns continue to hinder gender equality in sports” she said.
Sirreh Korteh, a participant in the initiative and a first-division player, expressed her excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to represent her country in Germany. She acknowledged the challenges and discrimination faced by women in football but encouraged her fellow young girls to be resilient and to overcome these challenges.
“I am happy to be part of this team in Germany, and I look forward to representing my country well. Women’s football is full of challenges and discrimination, but you need to be resilient to overcome the challenges,” she expressed.
Binta Jarju shared her excitement about this unique opportunity and expressed her eagerness to learn new things and grow through the program. She applauded the initiative and encouraged her fellow young girls to invest more energy in their training.
“This is a lifetime opportunity for me, which I can’t wait to embrace; therefore, I am calling on my fellow young girls to invest more energy, especially in their training, because football requires more training despite her talent”.
The Girls Can Play Initiative not only provides an opportunity for these young girls to participate in a competitive women’s tournament but also offers cultural exchanges and networking opportunities in Frankfurt, Germany. Through this program, they will enhance their leadership skills and learn best practices in women’s sports, ultimately becoming confident leaders capable of initiating social change in their communities and the sports sector.
