MIES (Switzerland) – On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2025, it is only opportune to reflect and underline the FIBA Foundation's continued commitment to gender equality through all its programs.
Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
Supporting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and aligned with FIBA's strategic priority "Women in Basketball", the FIBA Foundation is playing a major role in promoting gender equality and empowering women throughout all their projects. The following stories – from Belize to Uganda to Kosovo – offer inspiring snapshots of the wide-reaching on-ground impact of the Foundation's flagship initiatives.
FIBA Foundation’s ‘Propose A Project’
Every year, FIBA Foundation supports Basketball For Good projects around the world, aligning with the United Nations’ SDGs. As part of this promise, Propose A Project specifically targets SDG 5 by prioritizing female participation within supported projects, and empowering young women within their local communities.
In Belize, Central America, most sports programs – consciously or inadvertently – end up being geared towards men. To break this trend, the Belize Basketball Federation (BBF) hosted Yenny Pinilla from Colombia for a Mini Basketball camp. Coach Pinilla, a former international basketball player and FIBA Mini Basketball expert, had already successfully implemented a similar program in her own country. BBF’s strategy to bring in an ‘outsider’ worked wonders, with over 110 girls aged 5 to 15 years being introduced to basic basketball fundamentals and learning to enjoy the sport in a safe space.
I came to Belize to bring Mini Basketball to girls who mostly had never had a female coach. For many, it was the first time they saw on the court a reflection of what they could also become. Besides teaching basketball skills, it was about inspiring them to believe in their strength, both on and off the court. Basketball transforms lives, and being an example on their journey was a great privilege for me
Improving Self-Esteem
Across the Atlantic in Uganda, FIBA Foundation Youth Leader Patricia Ayebare is busy using basketball as a means to attract young boys and girls in the slum areas of Kampala, while educating on menstrual hygiene. Through FIBA Foundation’s support, Ayabare has been able to distribute menstrual products to 100 girls in two slums, improving their self-esteem and keeping them in school.
Up north in Europe, another female FIBA Foundation Youth Leader Edita Medunjanin was organizing Basketball For Good initiatives in 2024, including ‘Believe & Bounce’ a training session for U12 and U14 girls. The event, in Kosovo’s capital of Pristina, brought together young girls alongside the top senior players participating in the FIBA Women's European Championship for Small Countries. A documentary screening followed, inspiring these girls to pursue various careers in basketball, whether on or off the court.
As the first quarter of the 21st century comes to a close, there’s an undeniable acknowledgment of the many miles to go to fully achieve gender equality, but the FIBA Foundation remains committed to using basketball as a tool to increase female participation and empower women and girls around the world. *** The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports and particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage. The FIBA Foundation believes that basketball has the power to empower, educate and inspire youth and facilitates this by implementing Basketball For Good projects around the world. FIBA