H&M Move and Women Win team up to promote gender equity through sports

H&M Move’s community program Move Together supports young people by helping them to overcome barriers and find a sense of belonging where they can thrive and move together. The local organisations involved in this partnership are based in Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jordan, Mexico, South Africa, and UK. They all share a common goal and use football as a main tool to drive positive change, together with for example developing leadership skills, building self-confidence, and providing psychosocial support and health education.

“Solving gender equity is no small feat, but we believe in a future where every girl and woman can exercise their rights. For Women Win and the ONSIDE Fund, collaboration is our main vehicle to create change. By teaming up with H&M Move we can further strengthen the playing field for girls and break down traditional gender stereotypes associated with sports” 

says Nicole Matuska, GRLS director at Women Win.

During March – as part of International Women’s Month – the group of trailblazing women representing the seven organisations came together in a digital, yet intimate meeting to share experiences and to get inspired by each other and by Nadia Nadim, professional football player and H&M Move’s Brand Mover.

“I started playing football in a refugee camp in Denmark. Once on the field, I felt happy, I felt free, powerful, confident and I felt accepted. I’m happy to be part of this collaboration and I truly hope that my drive can inspire young girls to chase their own dreams – wherever they live and however they move,”

says Nadia Nadim.

“Movement and sport have the power to create connections and collective energy to push boundaries – physical as well as mental and social. We are extremely impressed by the work performed by Women Win and these amazing local organisations contributing to girls and young women becoming change makers in their own lives as well as in their communities.”

says Diana Amini, Head of Move Together Program.

Please let us introduce the seven local organisations participating in this collaboration:

COLOMBIA: Colectivo Femenino FUNDAR – LA PELOTA DE TRAPO
La Pelota de Trapo is a young women-led collective that promotes girls’ and women’s rights to sport and play by combining leadership-building workshops and high-quality football training.

COSTA RICA: Fundación GOLEES
Fundación GOLEES promotes girls and women’s empowerment in marginalised communities through the love of football. Their approach combines training, psychosocial support, and leadership development by creating safe spaces where girls and women can play and build community.

GUATEMALA: Jóvenes por el Cambio
Jóvenes por el Cambio is a youth-led collective using boxing and football to promote girls and women’s empowerment in urban and rural indigenous communities. Through their free sport activities, girls and young women build their leadership skills, gain self-confidence, and increase awareness about their rights.

JORDAN: Karak Castle Center for Consultations and Training
Karak Castle promotes gender equality by enhancing self-confidence, improving skills, and providing opportunities for participation with women and girls in the south of Jordan.

MEXICO: Komon tajkoltajbatik. A. C.
Founded by a group of young indigenous women, Komon tajkoltajbatik. A. C. is working to encourage indigenous girls and adolescents to gain self-confidence and know their rights.

SOUTH AFRICA: ActivateHer
Working to break down traditional gender stereotypes associated with sports, ActivateHer provides young girls with opportunities to practice a variety of sports with a focus on leadership development, social-emotional learning, and health education.

UK: Camden & Islington United
Camden & Islington United’s Women Team is formed by a diverse group of girls and women playing, coaching, and working towards creating a women’s football program where players of all ages and abilities can thrive.

About Women Win and the ONSIDE Fund
Women Win is a global multidimensional women’s fund guided by the vision of a future where every girl and woman exercises their rights. Managed by Women Win, ONSIDE is a pooled fund that supports feminist organising and movements that leverage sport to advance gender justice. To date, ONSIDE supports 98 groups, individuals and social enterprises in 51 countries, advancing gender justice in physical and digital spaces.

About Nadia Nadim
Nadia Nadim’s career journey is an inspiring story that started when she was forced to flee Afghanistan as a child. Moving from refugee status to international football star with more than 100 matches for the Danish national team, Nadia speaks nine languages and is a Doctor of Medicine. Today, Nadia plays professional football for AC Milan. Nothing has stopped Nadia from moving as she hopes to enable the next generation of talent to follow in her footsteps.

About Move Together and H&M Move
Move Together is H&M Move’s community program. We support young people to enjoy all the benefits of moving together. We remove barriers, share resources, and create collective energy to play our part for a more inclusive world. We have partnered up with Special Olympics, Laureus Sport for Good Italy, Sport Without Borders Sweden and Women Win.

H&M Move offers functional, fashionable activewear, accessible for the many, in a more sustainable way. We celebrate movement and invite the world to move.