For ALL Women and Girls: Advancing Rights, Equality, and Empowerment Through TAFISA’s Pathway

As we commemorate International Women’s Day 2025 under the theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”, we recognize this year as a pivotal moment in the global pursuit of gender equality, marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. We reaffirm our dedication to breaking barriers and fostering opportunities for women and girls in sport. TAFISA is proud to highlight its commitment to this mission through the Girls Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway. This initiative is at the core of our mission to create safer, more inclusive, and empowering environments where women can lead, coach, and thrive.

Why Advancing Equality and Empowerment in Sport Matters

Gender equity in sport is not just about increasing female participation—it requires transforming the system to ensure that women and girls have access to safe, inclusive, and sustainable opportunities. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership and coaching roles. Additionally, the sporting environment often presents barriers that discourage girls from participating, such as gender bias, lack of female role models, social stigmas, and limited access to resources.

Our commitment aligns with our mission to make sport accessible for all, regardless of gender, background, or ability. This is firmly embedded in our guiding document  Mission 2030: For a Better World through Sport for All, which envisions a world where everyone has the right and opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity in a safe and equitable environment. A truly inclusive Sport for All movement cannot be achieved without addressing gender disparities. By integrating gender equity into our programs, including the Girls Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway, we are actively breaking down barriers and fostering an environment where women and girls can lead, thrive, and inspire future generations.

Advancing equality in sport is key to unlocking equal rights, power, and opportunities for all. By ensuring that women are at the forefront of shaping the sporting landscape, we create a stronger, healthier, and more dynamic sector that benefits everyone.

TAFISA’s Commitment: The Pathway’s Role in Gender Equity

TAFISA launched the Girls Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway to address these gaps by equipping coaches, trainers, and sport organizations with the tools to foster safe, supportive, and gender-responsive coaching. The Pathway is not just a program—it is a movement aimed at reshaping the way we approach coaching, leadership, and inclusion in sport.

By focusing on coaching the coaches, the Pathway aims to remove barriers and create a more equitable, accessible, accommodative, and positive experience for girls in sports.

Through the Pathway, we are:

• Training and certifying coaches to take on leadership roles, create safe environments for girls, and inspire the next generation.
• Providing gender-sensitive coaching education to ensure safe and inclusive environments for all athletes.
• Empowering local communities to actively support women in sport at all levels, from grassroots to elite coaching.
• Building a sustainable network of trainers who will continue to pass on their knowledge, creating a lasting impact.

Last year, the Pathway successfully trained over 1,040 coaches across 60 countries, directly impacting 13,571 girls and women by providing them with safe, inclusive, and empowering sport environments.

Expanding the Pathway in 2025

Building on our success, 2025 will be a year of scaling and strengthening our impact. Key areas of expansion include:

• Expanding Global Footprint – Onboarding new hosts from diverse regions, including underserved and remote areas, to extend the program’s reach to new countries and positively impact an additional 10,000 participants.
• Advocacy & Capacity Building – Engaging community leaders, policymakers, and sports organizations to champion gender equity in sport. 
• Monitoring & Evaluation – Strengthening data collection and feedback mechanisms to continuously improve program delivery.
• Partnership Development – Collaborating with international federations, academic institutions, and regional bodies to integrate the Pathway into sports policies.
• Localized Adaptations for Inclusion – Tailoring program content to align with cultural and linguistic dynamics, ensuring accessibility for all participants

Join Us in Advancing Rights, Equality, and Empowerment

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, we invite organizations, coaches, and advocates to be part of this journey.

• Share your story – Use #ForAllWomenandGirls #TAFISAPathway to highlight how mentorship and Sport for All have shaped your journey.
• Support women in sport leadership – Inspire the next generation of women in sport.
• Advocate for safe and inclusive policies – Support initiatives that drive systemic change for women in sport.

TAFISA remains dedicated to ensuring that women in Sport for All are not only included but are leading the way. Join us in making 2025 a year of action, impact, and transformation.