Colombia is coming to an end of more than 50 years of civil war, which has caused well over 4 million internally-displaced persons, high levels of political and drug-related violence in both urban and rural communities, and one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.

For many years, the UN considered the armed conflict in Colombia the second largest humanitarian disaster in the world. Kids growing up in the poorest and most violent communities have little access to opportunities in life, and little prospect of finding a way out of poverty and disenfranchisement.

If you are a girl, it hits twice as hard in a country where less than 1 in 5 members of the national parliament is female; where male participation in the labour force is almost 50% higher than female participation; and where women, according to the UN, are more than twice as likely to experience violence by a partner as in almost all other countries in Latin America. 

In this setting, Fundacion Colombianitos is further developing Sport for Development and gender work and is creating a new programme in secondary schools in Bogota to tackle sexism in society, fight gender discrimination, and promote girls’ rights and responsibilities.  They work in state schools across Bogota, using sport to bridge gender gaps in sport participation and development by working with both boys and girls. Girls in public schools are often left on the peripheries of football pitches and playgrounds, with boys as the focus of attention. Colombianitos is looking to reshape this thinking by working with teachers and pupils.