Overall targets
The overall objective is improved gender equality in Sierra Leone through a strengthening of civil society organisations operating in the field of sports and the collaboration between these organisations.
Immediate targets
Project goal 1: 300 young girls between 10-25 years have become mobilized in 6 female handball clubs, have improved individual capacity and have engaged in a joint advocacy campaign promoting girls’ rights to be included in sports and equal access to sports resources. Project goal 2: 6 civil society organisations (female handball clubs) have been formed on democratic structures and 90 female coaches and leaders from the clubs have been educated about women’s rights and use this to fulfil these rights and contribute to gender equality in their local communities. Project goal 3: The collaboration between - and the capacities of - the Sierra Leone Handball Association and FANT Sierra Leone has improved to the level where they engage in a united advocacy campaign putting sexual violence against girls on the public agenda.
Target groups
Primary target groups 300 girls in the age between 10-25 years. From each of the 6 communities 50 girls will be participating as members (or players) of the female handball clubs. They are mainly recruited from 5 local schools, where they have been introduced to handball and this new project. In each community the preparation study will provide a mapping of the different schools to prevent elite capture. Ideally the composition of the 50 girls for each club will be mixed so that girls from different backgrounds, status, religion, tripes etc. will be represented. In each of the community different schools with different students will be selected as collaborators in the project in the aim of mobilising different girls and focusing on including some of the most vulnerable. The 300 girls will benefit from the project with expansion of their network with other likeminded girls, building up individual capacity when participating in workshops and campaigns, experiencing unity at a sports team and when getting personal relations to strong female role models ready to listen and support the girls in their daily life. This target group will participate in the intervention by 1. Participating in handball training sessions and competitions, 2. Participating in workshops and meetings, 3. Planning and implementing an advocacy campaign about the rights of girls to participate in sport. 90 female coaches and leaders from 20 years and above. From each of the 6 communities 10 local women will be trained as handball coaches and 5 female leaders will be elected for the board of the handball club where they will be working closely together with the coaches. The coaches and board members (also called leaders) are responsible for the weekly training sessions, planning of workshops, planning of handball competitions between the 6 clubs and reporting and coordinating with FANT SL, SLHA, local schools and other important local stakeholders. The 90 female coaches and leaders are expected to hold some capacity in social involvement and project organising from the beginning, but they will also be monitored and trained by the different partners in this project, which will help them develop capacity and skills within these areas. They are recruited/selected as a part of the preparation study (act. 2.1.1) and the board members are finally elected at the founding general assembly (act. 2.2.2). This target group will benefit from the project with expansion of their network both inside their communities but also when closely engaging with the 5 other new handball clubs, local schools, FANT SL, SLHA, FANT DK and Silkeborg-Voel KFUM. They will build up individual capacity both in relation to handball and coaching but also in connection to how to form a democratic civil society organisation, learn about human rights, how to become a female role model and how to get a voice in society. This target group will participate in the intervention by 1. Facilitating handball training sessions and competitions, 2. Participating in workshops and meetings, 3. Being responsible for facilitating workshops for the 50 girls, 4. Planning and implementing advocacy campaigns. 6 Female Handball Clubs. The 6 new civil society organisations will be built on same democratic structures as member organisations of FANT SL. Communities for the 6 female handball clubs are Juba, Kenema, Bo, Makeni, Mile91 and Freetown. Each handball club are established and formed by the two above mentioned target groups, why it has not been seen relevant to elaborate further on how they benefit and participate in the intervention. The Sierra Leone Handball Association. The national body of the association which includes 10 individuals in the Executive Committee and 4 individuals as the regional Executives (one from each region, South, North, East and West). SLHA plans to host the next general assembly with election to the Executive Committee in December 2020, which will ensure that more or less the same individuals from SLHA are committed for the whole project period of two years. SLHA benefits by strengthening the analysed lack of capacities explained in the partnership section. They participate or help facilitating most of the activities in the project (for further explanation see figure at page 13 & 14). Secondary target groups 6000 students between 10-25 years. This project will involve 5 schools in each of the 6 communities which are expected to include around 200 students in each. The division between sexes are expected to 50/50. The students of the 30 schools will be directly involved in the beginning of the project when FANT SL and SLHA will arrange handball training sessions at the schools to introduce the new sport and tell about the program. This is the strategy for the recruitment of the 50 girls for each of the handball clubs. During the project period SLHA will remain in close contact to the schools by providing updates from the project and planning training sessions for the students once in a while. The aim of the project in the future is not only to include 50 girls in each of the handball clubs, but this number has been estimated to be a realistic number to begin with. Hopefully, much more girls will join the clubs when the capacities of the clubs are built and ready to include more, and therefore SLHA will continue close collaboration with the schools during project period because of the recruitment possibilities in the future. The primary target group of the 300 girls will most likely be a pupil at one of these 30 schools, and therefore have a social network of friends etc. among the 6000 students. It is fair to believe that the 6000 students will be indirectly affected by the activities in the 6 female handball clubs when hearing about the activities from the 300 girls participating directly. 50,000 sierra leoneans. The aim of the advocacy campaign “HANDs off our girls” is to reach around 50,000 persons in Sierra Leone through national and local radio and television programs and through SoMe platforms. 1500 parents and family members of the 300 young girls. The project includes the parents and family members in different activities, to make sure everything around the project is transparent and that individuals close to the girls are supportive and informed about activities, project goals etc. The girls and women included in the primary target group are also expected to share new learnings etc. with their closest family. The Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Education. These two ministries will be involved as much as possible during the project period through meetings and updates from the SLHA and FANT SL. They are also planned to participate in act. 1.3.3 HAND Cup final and 1.3.4 Advocacy campaign related to HAND Cup final.
Resume
The overall objective is improved gender equality in Sierra Leone through a strengthening of civil society organisations operating in the field of sports and the collaboration between these organisations. The objective of this intervention is to improve gender equality in Sierra Leone. 300 young girls and 90 female coaches and leaders are mobilised and organised in 6 handball clubs where they build up both individual capacity and organisational capacity. They are trained in how to engage in dialogues and how to challenge the traditional thinking and conceptions that often maintain social and political structures, which are affecting girls and women in Sierra Leone negatively.