SWB to present at Girl Power in Play Symposium

SWB is proud to be a partner program for the upcoming "Girl Power in Play" Symposium hosted by Women Deliver alongside Right to Play, UNICEF, and One Goal in conjunction with the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. The two-day invitation-only event will focus on the power of girls’ involvement in sport and gather decision makers, sports stars, high-level Canadian government officials, influencers, and girls and women involved in sports. During the Symposium, SWB's Executive Director Mary McVeigh will share strategies and lessons from SWB Nicaragua under the symposium theme of "Leveling the Playing Field."

The SWB Nicaragua program, now in its 8th year, continues to be the only girls-specific sports program in the city of Granada, and reportedly hosts the only organized soccer teams for girls ages 6-9 in the entire country. Much of the growth and success of the program has been built on strong partnerships at the community and national levels, including FENIFUT, the national federation. The program directly addresses barriers to participation by creating team environments led by consistent, trained coaches who focus on engaging parents and caregivers, providing safe girls-specific spaces on and off the field, and eliminating financial and material obstacles through free programming and equipment that is earned through participation. Though unprecedented, the community has embraced the program wholeheartedly, both due to the hard work and investment of local program coaches and, more recently, the addition of an education program that offers secondary school scholarships, school uniforms, and supplies.

Check out the symposium website and stay tuned for ways to follow along via virtual conference!