She Wins, Ethiopia Rises...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — In a nation celebrated for resilience and rich cultural heritage, a transformative, community-led initiative is rewriting the story for girls and young women. She Wins is more than a sports programme—it is a movement. By combining football, education, and leadership, it creates the safe and supportive spaces girls need to thrive, empowering Ethiopia’s next generation to reach their full potential.

Addressing a National Challenge

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pressing challenge across Ethiopia, threatening the safety, education, and futures of countless girls. She Wins, founded by Natnael of NZ Communications and refined in collaboration with the British Embassy, aims to provide a long-term, sustainable solution. Rather than offering temporary fixes, the programme uses football as an entry point to education, leadership development, and community-based support systems. On the pitch, girls do more than play—they build confidence, resilience, and agency. This physical empowerment is paired with life skills training and safe practices, helping participants translate their experiences into leadership both on and off the field.

A Long-Term Approach for Lasting Change

She Wins is guided by a carefully designed multi-year roadmap, built to extend impact beyond sport. The programme emphasises listening, collaboration, and local ownership, ensuring interventions are contextually relevant and community-led. The methodology operates through three strategic pillars, which underpins Football for Humanity's strategic approach:

1. Protection

Through football and purposeful play, we aim to create safe, welcoming hubs where protection is built into every activity. Through robust safeguarding systems, women and girls, including men and boys, will feel secure, respected, and supported as they learn, grow and play together. Guided by expertise from Mark Hayes (Global Lead for SMS Pro Soccer) and local leaders, we will co-design and implement these hubs so that policies and everyday practice meet global safeguarding standards while staying grounded in local context.

2. Empowerment

We aim to help women and girls gain skills and confidence that extend beyond sport. Through clear female leadership pathways, they will take on meaningful roles, exercise agency, and challenge social barriers. The Emmerson Boyce Foundation Coaching Pathway provides structured support, offering practical leadership experience that empowers girls to influence their communities and shape their own futures. Alongside sport, additional layers of education, including mental health and psychosocial support, ensure girls are supported holistically as they grow and lead.

3. Unite

We will continue to work alongside global and local partners. By aligning global priorities with local realities, the programme will build resilient networks that connect children, families, leaders, and organisations, strengthening communities and creating lasting impact. Our key partners in making this happen include the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the British Embassy, the British Council, the Youth Ministry of Sports, UNICEF, and Pepsi. Each brings valuable expertise, resources, and support to help these networks thrive.

By carefully interlinking these three pillars, the programme turns vision into action, creating a platform for real change that transforms communities, empowers girls, and delivers lasting, measurable impact.

Inspiring discussions with His Majesty’s Ambassador, Darren Welch, at the HM Ambassador’s Residence.

Activating the Movement

Under the guidance of Football for Humanity’s founder, Christopher Thomas, the programme integrates trauma-informed practices, safeguarding frameworks, and emotional resilience strategies. Football hubs serve not only as spaces for play but also as social support networks, fostering lasting protective relationships that extend beyond the game. Education on gender-based violence (GBV) is carefully woven into the programme, drawing on Football for Humanity’s UN-recognised StopOSAEC framework to help girls recognise early warning signs of abuse while strengthening community systems to ensure survivors can access appropriate care. This approach is applied across disaster-affected, conflict-affected, and displaced communities nationwide, with all education and information delivered sensitively and in respect of the community and its cultural context.

The Results Speak for Themselves

The programme's effectiveness is rooted in its ability to turn training into tangible results. Ethiopian coaches, primarily women, receive specialised training in leadership, teamwork, and safeguarding against gender-based violence, and immediately put these skills into practice with youth teams and groups. These sessions are more than drills—they are spaces where purposeful play, skill, teamwork, and confidence come alive, symbolising unity, safety, and opportunity for girls across Ethiopia.

During the November 2025 pilot, 48 coaches underwent intensive and inclusive training. They went on to directly support over 960 girls across local football teams, creating a ripple effect that empowered young women both on and off the pitch.

Sustainability remains a key focus. With support from the British Council, 25 women coaches will continue to receive English language training, enabling them to grow professionally and extend the programme's impact for years to come.

David Maynard, Country Director for the British Council in Ethiopia, captured the essence of this collaboration at the press conference:

England is the home of football, and Ethiopia is the home of humanity. By bringing these two nations together, we have ‘Football for Humanity,’ a shared identity built on our common values.

The initiative also showcased young talent through the She Wins Under-17 Girls Football Tournament, after which 24 standout players were selected by the Addis Ababa Youth and Sport Bureau to join federal-level competitions. Community engagement was equally strong: a Premier League screening event and an FA Cup trophy drew 1,590 registrations, building excitement and momentum for girls’ football.

Media and social visibility further amplified the programme's impact. Thirty-one stories across TV, radio, and newspapers, combined with influencer engagement, reached over 500,000 people. Through training, competition, and community engagement, Football for Humanity and its partners are creating more than players—it is nurturing leaders, role models, and empowered girls ready to shape their future.

Global Alignment and Future Growth

As we are a member of the United Nations’ Football for the Goals, the She Wins programme brings UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 5, and 16 to life, proving that grassroots football can drive real social change. Progress is happening, but the need for safe, empowering spaces for girls is still immense. By joining forces with organisations, communities, and individuals, we can ensure every girl at risk has the chance to live free from fear, connected to protective networks and open to opportunity. This isn’t just a goal; it’s a fundamental human right. Together, we can meet the world’s toughest challenges and create a future where every girl can thrive

From the entire team at Football for Humanity, we extend our gratitude to Sirgut Hailu Mengiste, Soft Power Project Manager at the British Embassy Addis Ababa, and Natnael Zerihun, Founder of NZ Communications, whose dedication exemplifies the power of partnership and the impact that can be achieved when hearts and minds come together for a shared vision.

When She Wins, We All Win!