Empowering Rural India!
by Janani Shiva, India
I had never imagined that girls around the world would be united through the power of sport, let alone the power of soccer.
The global movement of female empowerment is gaining momentum and has become stronger than ever with young female leaders taking a stand in the fight to end gender discrimination. I believe that every girl has a moment where her passion is ignited to become a leader. That moment arrived in my life during Christmas break of 2019.
I had started my own non-profit initiative ‘Girls Play Global’ to educate and empower girls in rural India through soccer in the beginning of 2019, when I was made aware of the discrimination that girls endure to succeed in the sports industry.
Opportunities to play soccer are quite sparse due to societal conditioning and discomfort towards girls getting rough and “behaving like boys.”
Unlike developed countries, developing nations are still struggling to establish equal playing fields for girls and boys alike. Most families in rural India force their daughters to stay at home and do household chores while boys are allowed to go outside and play. There has been a lack of self-confidence and awareness of potential among girls.
But times are changing with more and more girls breaking barriers and pushing the boundaries to stand up for their rights. Girls have begun to stream into stadiums and participate in tournaments as they are educated about believing in themselves and demanding equal rights.
This burning desire to prove themselves was clear to me when I had the opportunity to conduct my organization’s first girls soccer tournament, Kicks for Climate Action, in Coimbatore, India. We were joined by ten teams from various cities and over 100 girls, many of whom had never participated in a tournament before.
The excitement from the hundreds of spectators was felt throughout the entire day as did the enthusiasm of the players despite wins and losses.
This tournament was unique as it was not just a platform for lady ballers to encourage each other and witness the expanding movement of women empowerment in front of their eyes but it was also a way to educate their communities about the impact of climate change on our world. Each team was required to present a project related to Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action, and advocate for it. Soon, we hope to be joined by hundreds more who will become strong female role models and powerful women in their chosen field.
I am proud to share that this tournament was inspired by the Global Goals World Cup’s initiative to empower girls and women around the world, and teams from Coimbatore are eager to be a part of the Mumbai GGWCup soon.
This opportunity has remained life-changing for me and it served as a way for me to connect with girls who are just as spirited in making a positive change in the world and advocating for global issues!
About Janani
Janani decided to spend her winter break with her team and prepare them for a coming GGWCup in India.
The Kicks for Climate Action football tournament was held on December 29th 2019 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Is was an all girls in the region inspired by GGWCup Mumbai 2019.
Janani joined as audience at the Finals in New York City in 2019, and we are looking forward to meet again when we bring the GGWCup back to Mumbai in 2021.
The event got a good attention in Southern Part of India and a leading daily newspaper (The Hindu) visited the training site and interviewed the Girls Play Global team.
