On November 5th – 6th 2019, Pro Sport Development and Girls Not Brides held a national consultation to understand how sport can be used as a medium to address gender-based discrimination. The consultation, held in New Delhi, saw a total of 68 representatives from a variety of civil society and non-governmental organisations from 16 states in India, and representatives from Nepal and Bangladesh, gather to share experiences of using sport as an approach to support gender equity.
This diverse group of people came together to understand the current situation of sport for development as it pertains to gender-based programmes in the country. This platform also offered participants an opportunity to discuss the way forward in the sport for development sector.
This unique consultation brought together stories from those with direct in-country experiences, highlighting the actual impact that sport has made in people's lives. Youth leaders, facilitators and practitioners from different areas and organisations came together and shared their personal stories of change and their experiences of working with sport in school and community settings, both in rural and urban areas. These stories invigorated the participants and were an affirmation of the power of sport in achieving gender justice.