GOAL ACCELERATOR launches in continuation of a deeply impactful Goal Programme

Women’s economic empowerment is key to addressing global gender inequalities, yet there is still a staggering disparity when looking at women in the workforce. According to the International Labour Organization’s Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022 Report, “Globally, young people are not in employment, education, or training. A majority (68%) are female and young women are almost 1.5 times more likely to be unemployed than young men” [1]. Furthermore, women’s employment is more likely to be in informal or vulnerable environments and they often face significant barriers when starting and sustaining their own businesses. The Goal Accelerator Programme aims to address these inequalities and gaps for women living in marginalised communities. The programme provides life and leadership skill development and concrete pathways to employment and self-employment.

Goal Accelerator is an evolution of the deeply impactful Goal Programme. It is a sport-powered, gender-responsive economic resilience initiative. Its aim is to create concrete pathways and steps for disadvantaged girls and young women to obtain decent employment, earn an income and become economically resilient. Goal Accelerator is part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, a global youth economic empowerment initiative funded by Standard Chartered Foundation. The programme takes a holistic approach to women’s economic empowerment, promoting financial independence, leadership development, and facilitating access to decent employment and entrepreneurship. Core to the programme, sport and play provide a unique methodology that is foundational in cultivating key transferable skills. These include communication, decision-making, teamwork and resilience. Sport also provides opportunities for participants to strengthen their leadership, increase their self-confidence and improve mental health.

Co-Design is Crucial for Programme Contextualisation

Over three years, Women Win will work with local implementing partners Street League in the United Kingdom, Junior Achievement Mascareignes in Mauritius, Right to Play in Pakistan, SERVE in Sri Lanka, and WOMEN:girls in Malaysia to engage 1,726 young women, ages 16-35. In each of the five geographies, partners will leverage the Goal Accelerator framework. However, each programme will be contextualised to the needs of young women in each particular context. 

Due to the unique objectives and varying contexts of the programme, it was crucial to have all partners involved in the programme design from the beginning. Women Win staff, local implementing partners, local Standard Chartered Bank representatives, and local representatives of the target participants met for co-design sessions during programme proposal development. The SERVE team shared, “The initial project design and approach used by Women Win and SERVE, along with co-design sessions with the beneficiaries, have made it easier to identify the real and felt needs of the target beneficiaries.

As a result, since the project was built considering the community’s felt needs, it is greatly aligned with the real needs and wants of the women, which has contributed to the project’s success so far.” The input from the implementing partners and young women was invaluable and contributed to designing programmes to meet the unique needs within each market. 

Holistic Approach

Goal Accelerator will draw on the expertise and experience of the five implementing partners to ensure the programme’s success in each location. For example, JAM and Street League are combining their proven financial literacy and work readiness resources with the Goal Accelerator curriculum and sport-based methodology to reach their target participants.

Street League emphasised the importance of this holistic approach, sharing that they “…engage young people in sport, employability skills and qualifications whilst continuing to support them into jobs with ‘in-work’ aftercare support. We also work collaboratively with community partners as well as local and national employers to deliver our programme and help young people into work.” This well-rounded and community-centred approach is key to the initial success as well as the sustainability of the Goal Accelerator Programme.

Impact of Sports on Women’s Leadership Skills

The Right to Play team also highlights the unique environment that sport adds, stating that, “…the integration of sports activities such as football, basketball, and volleyball adds a unique and engaging element to the program, promoting physical health, teamwork, and leadership skills among the participants. By combining sports with life skills, the program offers a dynamic learning experience that sets it apart from other initiatives.” The nature of sport provides participants with unique opportunities to both develop and practise their life and leadership skills. It also introduces female role models, and encourages a sense of belonging, setting them up for success in their future careers.

With all five partners kicking off implementation this month, there is great excitement regarding the impact that Goal Accelerator can have in the different markets. The WOMEN:girls team captured their excitement, “What excites us most about the GA program is the opportunity to make a real impact in the lives of these young women, helping them achieve financial sustainability and freedom. We are looking forward to seeing how the program empowers them to take control of their future, build confidence, and unlock their potential in ways that will create lasting positive change.”

Sources:

• https://www.ilo.org/publications/major-publications/global-employment-trends-youth-2022-investing-transforming-futures-young

Photos:

• WOMEN:girls, Malaysia – Goal Programme
• WOMEN:girls, Malaysia – Goal Programme
• Street League, United Kingdom – Goal Accelerator Co-Design