LocationsGirls from Goražde more active in sports through ReLOaD2 project
January 31, 2023
Girls from Goražde who haven't yet been active in sports are becoming more active in various sport activities organized by local sport clubs within the The Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2).
Altough she lives in a community which holds the opinion that football is a male sport, the young citizen of Goražde Merjema defies all stereotypes on the football field. She quickly became fond of football and today she never misses a training. Merjema says that she couldn't imagine that she would be playing football someday. However, she got the opportunity throught the project „Say Yes to female football“ implemented by the Sport Football Club „Libero“ in Goražde within the ReLOaD2 project.
„I grew to love football very quickly, and this love fullfills me now. By participating in this project I became acquainted with football, the rules of the game, but also with the importance of socializing with my peers through sport. Because of this, I look forward to each training“, says 14-year old Šuman who has been active in playing football for the last seven months.
Although women in Bosnia and Herzegovina are becoming more active in sports, the public opinion still remains that certain sports are not appropriate for women, which affects the girls's choice of sports. Therefore, sport clubs in BiH aim to encourage girls participation in sports via various activities, as recognized by the ReLOaD2 project financed by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Sport Football Club „Libero“ from Goražde perseveres in its mission of development and affirmation of female football, as shown by the successful implementation of the project „Say Yes to female football“. Fifty seven young and teenage girls, aged 8 to 16, from urban and rural parts of Goražde are participating in project activities. During the course of seven months, they have participated in theoretical and practical trainings held three times a week on the sport field of the „Libero“ recreational centre.
Project coordinator Senad Hubjer, who is also the president of the „Libero“ Centre, says that the primary goal of the project is to support healthy development of as many girls as possible. Thus, in addition to football practice, they have organized lectures on healty nurtition and gender equality in sports.
„The goal was to challenge the opinion of citizens, especially parents, that football is just a male sport. This is why we included the girls' parents in the project, and organized lectures on the topic of their role in sports and the healthy growth of their children“, added Hubjer.
After successfully completing seven months of football practice, all the girls who participated in the project appeared in the final „International Girls Tournament“, where they had the opportunity to show what they had learned through project activities. It is important to mention that many of them continued practicing football even after the project has ended.
„The girls attended every training with enthusiasm and were absolutely motivated. We are glad that we have succeeded in convincing the parents that football is not a sport just for boys, but for girls as well“, said Hubjer.
Besides football, the girls from Goražde had the opportunity to try volleyball as well. The project „Mini Volleyball for Girls“ carried out by the Volleyball Club Goražde gained the attention of 35 girls who had never played this sport before, grouping them into six volleyball teams.
„It is important to mention that the participants of this project were girls who are not yet technically on the level to play for one of our club's teams. However, the fact that they had the opportunity to compete motivated them to attend trainings on a regular basis and to make additional effort to master the volleyball technique in order to be able to play in a team“, said Nermin Obuća, coach and president of the Volleyball Club Goražde.
„During the seven months of the project, a significant improvement in the physical and technical fitness of the girls was noted. Training has a great impact on their mental strengthening through new sport experiences.“, added Obuća.
More than 120 girls who actively practice volleyball are proud members of the Goražde Volleyball Club, and the number keeps growing, says Obuća. In the future, the club aims to roll out the project „Mini Volleyball for Girls“ across Goražde. ReLOaD2 provided them with all the necessary equipment for this project.
„Thanks to the procurement of adequate court floor tiles, we will be able to move the mini volleyball court from one neighborhood to another, every weekend during the summer period. At the and of the summer, we plan to organize the final tournament of winners from those neighborhoods“, says Obuća.
Sport clubs in Goražde believe that through regular activities promoting the particiption of girls in sports they can generally contribute to gender equality in sports. This approach supports the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, which include gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. According to the United Nations principles, gender equality is not only a basic human right, but also a necessary prerequisite for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
