IMPACT GIRLS
Empowering girls and young women to be educated, healthy and safe
Impact Girls aims to holistically address critical issues facing rural girls and young women – a lack of power to make decisions about their own education, health, bodies and lives. Keeping school-age girls in school is one of the biggest factors that helps to secure long-term change in communities across Zambia. An extra year of primary school increases wages for girls by an eventual 10% to 20%.
THE PROBLEM
Many adolescent girls in rural Zambia lack critical menstrual health hygiene materials and knowledge.
First, they may not have access to private washrooms or clean sanitary products. Poorly managed menstrual health hygiene contributes to up to 4-5 missed days of school each month.
Additionally, young women are often not empowered to have control over their own bodies and are coerced into unwanted sex or early marriage. Zambia has a teenage pregnancy rate of 15%, the 11th highest in a 2018 UNICEF study of countries. Almost one-third of girls aged 15-19 have a child or are currently pregnant, and a similar proportion get married by 18.
the solution
Our student population is 60% female, and we employ a number of strategies in the classroom to ensure our girls can continue learning.
First, we provide private latrines and handwashing stations for adolescent girls. We combine these with pad-making workshops to promote the use of clean and reusable sanitary products. We provide community sensitization, counseling services, and work closely with local One Stop Centers to ensure that girls receive appropriate support to prevent early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
We also provide opportunity for growth through play and engagement in group sport, primarily through our NetGirls Zambia initiative.
NetGirls Zambia
100 Teams & 1,000 Girls & Young Women
SUPPORTING GIRLS IN RURAL AFRICA THROUGH NETBALL LEAGUES
Netball is a hybrid between handball and basketball. While boys prefer soccer, netball is the sport of choice for girls across Southern Africa. Unfortunately, funding and access to netball is often limited or takes a backseat to soccer. The Impact Network's NetGirls Zambia initiative empowers and improves the lives of girls by providing opportunity for growth through play and engagement in group sport.
We currently operate in rural villages around Katete district in Eastern Zambia with 100 teams and over a thousand girls competing for the highly sought after league champion title!
WHY GIRLS SPORTS?
In Zambia, girls often miss out on opportunities to play sports because they are expected to help with chores and take care of younger siblings. Yet, research has shown that giving girls the opportunity to play sports has awesome benefits, including: Breaking down gender stereotypes; Building leadership skills; Expanding social networks; Providing female mentorship and role models; Teaching teamwork; Building self-esteem and improving happiness through healthy, social organized activities.
HOW DOES THE LEAGUE WORK?
There are two basic leagues — our Junior League focuses on school-aged girls, while the Varsity League caters to young women over the age of 18. Teams are coached by volunteers and managed at the ward level by local staff. Teams practice daily and hold games with teams from neighboring villages on weekends. Scores and game recaps are announced on local radio and there are zonal and overall tournaments held in Katete.
Initially the focus has been on athletics, however in 2019 we combined the netball league with financial literacy and menstrual health hygiene programs.
Importantly, the cost of the program is just $5 a season per girl.
