OSCAR Foundation is a sports for development organisation that uses football as a tool to engage children from underserved communities and equips them with key life skills necessary to make them resilient and future ready.
A key challenge along OSCAR’s journey was the mobilisation of female participants. In fact, a study by the BBC (2020) indicated that a mere 29% of surveyed women in India played sport. The primary reasons for the above were safety, strength and the inability for women to participate in sport during all times of the month. The findings are very consistent with our observations on the ground. In addition to the above, traditional gender roles which included chores such as cooking, filling water drums and taking care of younger siblings greatly restricted their leisure time and were therefore significant barriers for entry for female participants. Moreover, the perception of football attire, particularly shorts, as indecent clothing created hesitation not only among potential participants and their families but also among those willing to engage. Girls attending sessions often felt profound discomfort as they navigated the narrow, maze-like alleys, contending with taunts and unwelcome comments from passersby and residents in the communities, amplifying their unease.
OSCAR, in partnership with Vacha Charitable Trust and the Emerging Markets Foundation piloted a unique participatory approach in an attempt to address the stigmas associated with football attire. Ten girls (aged 9-12), under the mentorship of two coaches from their community, volunteered to engage in the project. Both coaches were instrumental in mobilising female participants from the communities and were regarded as role models by the girls. After deliberation