Gender Equality Accelerators | soccerwithoutborders

Gender Equality
(Goal 5) Accelerators

The Global Goal 5 Accelerator advances gender equality on the pitch, on the sidelines, and in organizations. Created in partnership with Common Goal and Women Win, each accelerator brings together a cohort of sport-for-development organizations and coaches to build girls’ participation, advance pipelines and pathways for female coaches, elevate female leaders, and change perceptions in our communities. Together, these actions contribute toward the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 which is to "Advance Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls."

Our Approach

The Global Goal 5 Accelerator takes a collaborative approach to advancing gender equality through soccer. As part of a regional cohort, organizational leaders and women coaches work to establish a baseline for their gender equality goals, identify priority areas and commitments to focus on, and create action plans to accelerate their progress toward their goals. Each Accelerator takes place over a period of months, with cohort-wide workshops that focus on areas of collective need and create opportunities to share best practices. Cohort members bring their learnings and action plans back to their organizations and communities, and are supported to activate their Goal 5 commitments.

The UN's Fifth Global Goal: Gender Equality badge.

A high school girl smiles while playing goalie.

On the Pitch

Girls are underrepresented in soccer globally and in sport-for-development programs.

Goal: Increase girls’ participation

On the Sidelines

If she can see it, she can be it. Women coaches are just a fifth of sector coaches worldwide.

Goal: Ensure every girl has a female coach role model locally.

In Organizations

Women in the lead. Ensure organizations are safe and inclusive with pathways for female leaders at all levels.

Goal: Build more gender-inclusive organizations

Recent Goal 5 Initiatives

Through four Goal 5 Accelerators, one Summit, and the adidas Breaking Barriers program, Soccer Without Borders has trained and supported more than 200 women coaches from 25 countries since the launch of the first Accelerator in 2020.