Overview
Tackling Harmful Norms will use the power of sport and mentorship to promote positive masculinity, healthier relationships and gender equality among boys and young men, and women and girls; in an effort to tackle the root causes of Violence Against Women and Girls.
At a Glance
Timeframe: 2025-2030
Funded partners:
7 in the UK, and 4 International
Value: £3.9m awarded to organisations who will work in the UK and £750k awarded to four organisations who will work in Africa
Location: UK (London and West Midlands) and Africa (Kenya, Zambia and South Africa)
Summary
The new £3.9 million, five-year programme will support seven specialist community-led organisations across London and the West Midlands, to address the root causes of violence against women and girls, using a sport for change approach.
Based on evidence from historical funding, that sport and physical activity provide a safe entry point into ‘heavy’ discussions and for accessing support services; organisations will use sports and physical activity like football, cricket and netball, to help implement early interventions that encourage boys and young men to become role models and leaders while also championing a culture of respect and healthy masculinity. Participants will also take part in tailored education, mentoring and peer-led sessions to build skills that can be used to challenge harmful norms and behaviours that drive violence against women and girls in their own communities.
The organisations that are part of this new programme in the UK are:
Beyond Equality(opens in new window)
(London / West Midlands)
Working with men and boys, the UK leading gender-transformative charity will use group workshops to rethink masculinities, promote gender justice, and build safer, more inclusive communities. They will deploy classroom and on-pitch learning programmes across 11 English Football League (EFL) football clubs.
Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid(opens in new window)
(Birmingham / Solihull)
Partnering with Warwickshire Cricket Foundation, the charity will use cricket to promote healthy relationships and gender equality, and continue to support women and children affected by domestic abuse.
The Change Foundation (opens in new window)
(London / West Midlands)
Sport and mentoring will be used to support marginalised young people, focusing on health, skills, and employment to improve. their futures
Fight for Peace(opens in new window)
(London)
Fight for Peace will deliver early intervention programmes that combine boxing and martial arts, mentoring, and a personal development curriculum to challenge harmful norms and build their confidence.
Football Beyond Borders(opens in new window)
(London / West Midlands)
Football Beyond Borders will support disengaged young people through a football-themed social and emotional learning curriculum, to promote healthy masculinities and tackle gender-based violence across 60+ schools in the area.
(London)
Using sport as a hook, the charity trains coaches and youth workers to deliver Dating Detox, an 11-session programme that helps boys aged 11-18 to understand respect, consent, and boundaries.
(Birmingham)
Roshni will support Black and minoritised women and young people affected by VAWG through trauma-informed, multilingual services, including refuge, advocacy, and outreach.
In addition, Comic Relief are investing an additional £750k in four established organisations working in Africa, who have been undertaking similar work over the last 10-20 years - addressing the root causes of VAWG, using a sport for change approach.
Africa Advocacy Foundation(opens in new window)
(Kenya)
Africa Advocacy Foundation will partner with 16 public schools in Migori and Ukunda, Kenya, to deliver their Play4Respect programme. Their approach will provide structured culturally sensitive training to PE teachers, who also play the role of VAWG champions. AAF’s approach prioritises football, which acts as a conduit to guided dialogue linking gameplay to conversations around issues such as consent, respect, nonviolence, and digital influences.
Grassroots Soccer Zambia(opens in new window)
(Zambia)
Grassroots Soccer Zambia will use their experience leveraging the power of football and positive youth development, to challenge harmful stereotypes that perpetuate VAWG. They will work across 8 provinces in Zambia.
Justice Desk(opens in new window)
(South Africa)
Work in Cape Town, South Africa – and will use multiple sports, to achieve measurable shifts in attitudes, behaviours, and confidence among children and young people that directly challenge harmful gender norms and reduce future risk of VAWG.
Moving the Goalposts(opens in new window)
(Kenya)
Moving the Goalposts will work to reduce VAWG across fragile communities in Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and Tana River areas in Kenya; where child marriage, FGM, early pregnancy, low school transitions and resource-based conflict heighten risks for girls. They use the medium of football, strengthening the agency, safety and voice of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) while transforming harmful norms and community structures that sustain violence.