Health on girls´ terms - innovation for gender equality in health

Purpose and goal:

The project aimed to promote equal opportunities for girls with foreign backgrounds to participate in physical activity. Girls with foreign backgrounds are underrepresented in sports. It is also a group that is challenging for many actors to reach and activate.

A method for hiring activity leaders (girls from the target group who have been trained within the project) has been developed to enhance organizations´ capacity to promote physical activity among prioritized groups, thereby contributing to a more equitable health. Expected results and effects:

Over 300 girls with foreign backgrounds participated in the project in different roles. 20 girls have been part time employed within the project by Stockholm Sports Department. The project enhanced participants´ self-esteem, community, and physical health. The project has also promoted increased representation of young voices in key forums like Almedalen, the National Board of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and to the government committee for promoting physical activity. The goal was to disseminate solutions for a more equitable health.

Approach and implementation:

Right By Me and the Stockholm Sports Department together with girls of foreign background, have developed a method for working with activity leaders (girls recruited from the target group and trained within the project). The activity leader method has been developed through ongoing evaluations and tests in several districts of Stockholm. The method is ready to be scaled and implemented by more organizations so that additional stakeholders can work based on the conditions and competence of the target group.