Increasing women’s access to and participation in sport through women-led initiatives
A new adidas Foundation project in France, Germany, and Spain that combines access to sport with leadership development for young women with multicultural backgrounds
International Women’s Day invites reflection not only on progress made, but on the structural barriers that continue to shape who feels welcome, visible, and valued in sport. Across Europe, girls and women still participate less, drop out earlier, and remain underrepresented in leadership roles.
For women and girls with backgrounds shaped by migration, these gaps are often wider. Gender‑based barriers intersect with migration‑related challenges, restrictive social norms, and a lack of visible role models or leadership pathways — making sustained participation in sport harder over time.
At the adidas Foundation, we believe that advancing equality in sport requires more than increasing access alone. It also means listening to communities, valuing their lived experience, and enabling them to actively shape the spaces and projects designed for them.
Play for the Lead was created from this belief. Part of the Playing for Purpose program, this upcoming project combines access to sport with leadership development. By investing in young women with backgrounds shaped by migration — not only as participants, but as decision‑makers — the project aims to contribute to more inclusive, engaging, and sustainable sport environments for girls and women.
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Young women at the center
Play for the Lead places young women at the heart of change. The initiative will be implemented in France, Germany, and Spain in partnership with six community-based organizations selected through an open Call for Application that will be hold in May 2026. Each organization will identify up to four young women leaders aged 18 to 25 who reflect the communities they serve and bring lived experience into the project.
Selected young women leaders will take part in a three-month online leadership journey focused on community sport project design, safeguarding, and practical leadership skills. They will then design and lead in collaboration with the organizations community-based sport initiatives aimed at expanding access and improving the quality of participation for girls and young women from multicultural backgrounds. Peer learning and in person gatherings, including a gathering linked to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will support exchange, connection, and collective learning across countries.
Guided by lived experience
The project is supported by a Young Women Advisory Group made up of six to nine young women living in France, Germany, and Spain. In a consultative role, the group will help inform key aspects of the initiative, including selection criteria, learning content, and communication approaches, ensuring that community perspectives meaningfully shape the project from the start.
The open call to join the Young Women Advisory Group is currently live and open until March 22
join our young women advisory group
We’re looking for young women (18–29) from multicultural backgrounds who want to share their lived experiences and help shape a project that supports girls and young women to access sport and stay active. Applications are open until 22 March
While Play for the Lead is being announced on International Women’s Day, the project has not yet started. An open Call for Proposals for partner organizations will be announced in May. Organizations working to expand inclusive, community-based sport opportunities for girls and women from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to stay tuned.
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