Fugee Girls Football Team

Project Stand Up was born out of a process of learning about gender inequality and gender norms. These were explored through football and led to the creation of a football team!

The Fugee School girls football team started with one question, “Why are there only two girls in your class?” This question led to a series of reflections and unpacking of gender norms and stereotypes among one class of students. The class was made up of eight boys and two girls.  In the end, they realized, there were not only two girls in the class, because girls are not as smart or because don’t try as hard (male students’ initial ideas), but because girls are not given equal opportunities to participate.

“Before the girls football team, we did not know that we could do the same things as the boys. Now we know we can. Even if it’s hard.”

— Girls football team player

It was this ‘Ah Ha!’ moment that prompted the class to participate in the 2017 Girls Impact the World film festival. They wanted to share what they had learned with their school and wider community. They decided a video was the perfect medium to do so. They entered a short-film in the ‘stand up men’ category. Their film won first place.

Fugee Girls Football Team 2017

In their film, “Project Stand UP,” students engaged with classmates and community members about issues of gender equality by discussing football, and whether or not girls could play football.  Following their learning process, film making, and success in a global film competition, the students advocated for the creation of a girls football team at the Fugee School. The result, the Fugee School girls, Project Stand Up inspired football team was created.

“We have become role models in the school. And in the community. Now the Somali community school also has a girls football team.”

— Football team player.