Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative
In February 2012, the U.S. Department of State announced a global effort to engage women and girls through sports.
In February 2012, the U.S. Department of State announced a global effort to engage women and girls through sports. The Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative mobilizes all of the U.S. Department of State’s international sports programming, from Sports Envoys traveling overseas to international Sports Visitors traveling to the United States, to increase the number of women and girls worldwide who are involved in sports. A cornerstone of this initiative is the creation of the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program that will connect emerging women leaders from across the globe with their leading American women in sports. Sports diplomacy builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools – in this case sports – to bring people together and foster greater understanding.
U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program
Harnessing the power of mentoring, the Department, in collaboration with espnW, will connect international and American women to build capacity and create sustainable sports opportunities for underserved women and girls worldwide. In the fall of 2012, approximately 20 women, ages 25-40, who have been identified as emerging leaders in sports, will travel to the United States where they will be paired with leading American women who work in a sports-related field. Participants may include women who: administer or manage sports programs; manage and/or coach sports teams; work in mid-to-upper management roles for corporations with a sports-related focus; work at non-governmental organizations (NGOs); and specialize in sports journalism and mass communication, sports marketing, and sports medicine.
This mentoring program is a cornerstone of the Department’s broader Empowering Women and Girls through Sports Initiative, which aims to increase the number of women and girls worldwide who are involved in sports. It builds on Secretary Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” which embraces the full range of diplomatic tools—in this case mentoring and sports—to empower women and girls and foster greater understanding.
Sports Envoys
Sports Envoys are current and retired professional athletes, coaches, and sports program administrators who travel overseas on behalf of the Department of State to engage underserved youth. They lead clinics and team-building activities, as well as start a dialogue with youth on the importance of education and respect for diversity. In 2012, as part of the Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative, the Department of State will send 12 American envoys to Argentina, Malaysia, Morocco, and Venezuela to engage with young athletes on the playing field on how to apply those lessons in life.
Sports Visitors
Sports Visitors are youth and coaches who travel to the United States for an exchange. Sports Visitor programs provide young people with an opportunity to discover how success in athletics can be applied in the development of life skills and achievement in the classroom and beyond. In 2012, the Department of State will bring girls and female coaches from The Bahamas, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe, to the United States for Sports Visitor exchanges in basketball, soccer, and track and field.
