Conducted in partnership with Women Win, this study interviewed stakeholders across sectors — coaches, federation officials, parents, and girls themselves — to document where and why girls in Bangladesh were excluded from organised sport.
Key findings
- Absence of dedicated women's leadership or decision-making positions within most district-level sports offices prior to the study.
- Limited or no women's wings within national sports federations.
- Social norms around girls' physical activity acting as a stronger barrier than infrastructure availability in many districts.
From research to policy
These findings directly informed NUK's successful advocacy, which led the Government of Bangladesh to approve gender training for female leadership positions across all 64 district sports offices, and to the establishment of women's wings within national sports federations.
The International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) has partnered with Women Win since 2008 in supporting this research and the advocacy that followed it.
Program connection
See how these findings translated into ongoing programming in NUK's Sports for Women's Empowerment program.