The European Week of Sports will be held for the 5th time from the 23rd to the 30th of September 2019. As part of the European SPIN Women project, actions and events are taking place in the seven EU countries.
In a concerted campaign the Sport Inclusion Network (SPIN) is highlighting the need for the removal of barriers and the full participation of migrant girls and women in sport. In particular, grassroots activities enhancing the inclusion of migrant and minority women and girls in and through sport are supported and made visible. The activities are facilitated by or actively involve female minorities and migrants as initiators, trainers, athletes, officials, club members, fans etc.
Women’s and minority sport clubs and initiatives as well as (female) refugee organisations cooperate to raise awareness about the dangers of exclusion, discrimination, ethnic stereotypes and prejudice. Through the events diversity is celebrated and the need for equal opportunities for ethnic minority and migrant women and girls will be highlighted.
Germany
On September 7th, the Girls Sports Festival “LEYLA RUNS” is going to take place as a pre-event to the European Week of Sports in Berlin, Germany. It is hosted by the Sports Association for Women, Lesbians, Trans*, Inter “Seitenwechsel” and supported by Camino. The event is supposed to show girls and young women, the diversity of movement and sports offerings that are available to them and demonstrate how girls and women can become active in all kinds of sports – also in those that are perceived as untypical for women. In this way the event wants to support the participants in overcoming barriers for girls in sports. Target group are girls with and without a migration background from a social focal point area in Kreuzberg, a multicultural district of Berlin. 30% of the participants are expected to be girls with a migration background and there will also be girls from facilities for refugees.
Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) will facilitate three events:
“Mother & Daughter Football Fun Days” at Inny Football Club in Mullingar and at Melview Football Club that will both take place on 28 September.
In its calibration of female participation in football Corrib Rangers Women FC a team in the West of Ireland and Gort Women Football group, a group of mixed national origins including Brazilians and Irish backgrounds, will come together to play a friendship cup – friendly match. The event is due to take place on the w/c 30th September.
Portugal
The Portuguese Players Union SJPF launched a promotional video on facebook in order to open the event to the local community. The event on 24 September will be an open “Football Incusion” day to promote sportive activities at the Player´s Academy in Odivelas/Lisbon, and to involve active professional players in the as promoters, role models. Young people should be aware of the benefits of playing sports and engage girls in women’s football. Part of the event is an interactive session with Carla Couto (SJPF ambassador) and one active professional player from the Sporting CP female team.
Austria
Specifically, the participation of women and girls in the event “Lebens-Lauf” asylum coordination on 2. September in the park Oberlaa in Vienna is supported. In this second charity run for an open refugee policy, there is a children’s run (1000m), a main run (5000m) and Nordic walking over 5 km. Supporters can support the participation of refugees through sponsorship (registration & information at www.lebens-lauf.at).
The Afghan Sport and Cultural Association New Start also organises a big volleyball tournament on the same day. For the first time, there will also be a separate women’s tournament in this context, made possible by SPIN Women.
(Information under office[at]neuerstart.at or www.facebook.com/neuer.start.2010).
Additionally, DSG Ferlach will hold a “Game play feast for Children” on 20 September. There will be a fairplay microsoccer workshop station and a station facilitated by a female football coach that is directed to girls from the refugee shelter.
Hungary
The Hungarian partner Mahatma Gandhi Human Rights Organisation will hold the EWOS events in Budapest on the following dates:
23 September: Round table meeting on social inclusion and empowerment of women in sports;
24 September: Football Event for Women and Girls at Vajda Péter School;
27 September: Marathon event for Women and Girls.
Italy
The Italian sport organisation Unione Italiana Sport Per Tutt (UISP) will support two long term projects carried out by its local committees, which will organise an event to support and promote those projects.
Uisp Torino will organise at the beginning of October a celebration of the starting of the sport year of the “swimming pool for women”: every Sunday the swimming pool managed by Uisp is dedicated to women, with also female staff, so every woman/girl can feel comfortable while practising sport, taking benefit both from sport activities and social part. Uisp proposes three activities: swimming, swimming courses and water aerobics, and offers for a symbolic price activities for sons or brothers. At the beginning of October a day to present these activities addressed to women who attended last year, to new potential participants and to their families, with music and offering of cooking from different cultural background.
Uisp Emilia Romagna runsa project called “Differences at stake”: the language of corporeality which involves different areas of the region: Forlì-Cesena, Ferrara, Bologna, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia and Rimini. In each town Uisp will organise courses of activities and training of empowerment, specifically dedicated to migrant women, as yoga, walking and dance therapy, according to the town. On 28 September there will be a multi sport festival in Parma, dedicated to the celebration of 70 years of Uisp, and one part will be dedicated to the promotion of project activities, with a sport part specifically dedicated to migrant women.
Finland
Under the theme “Power to the women” the Helsinki Sports International Association together with Monaliiku will organize on September 27 an inclusive sport event for migrant women. Activities will include football, basketball, volleyball, music and pétanque – a form of lawn bowling. Participants from the Helsinki Refugee Reception Center and from the adult education school are invited to the event. Moreover, families from the Liikkukaa local migrant club will be involved as well. Liikkukaa coaches will support the event and show how to play. The event will take place at Brahenkentä, Helsinginkatu 25 a, Helsinki. For more info visit www.sports4All.net.
About the project “Sport Inclusion of Migrant and Minority Women” (SPIN Women)
The objective of this pan-European project is to encourage social inclusion and equal opportunities of women and girls with an immigrant or ethnic minority background through increased participation in sports and recreational physical activities. Looking at society at large, migrant and ethnic minority women are belonging to the most excluded and vulnerable groups in Europe. That’s why SPIN Women is designed to show the different perspectives of migrant and ethnic minority women and to develop strategies to increase their involvement in sports.
The SPIN Women project is co-funded under the Erasmus+ programme of the European Commission.
About European Week of Sport (EWoS)
The week aims to help people become more active and use the inclusive power of sport in European societies. It was launched by the European Commission in 2015 to response to the inactivity crises and raise the level of physical activity. Since then the Week has continued to grow year after year, 2018 already 12 million people participated at the European Week of Sport.
The SPIN network produced a series of “girl power” campaign material including a poster, sticker, training bibs and banners, which will all used by the partners and local groups to disseminate an inclusive message during the EWoS 2019.
