Abstract

There has been a growing interest in the lives of girls and women living in the Global South as they navigate between existing patriarchal systems with new educational and economic opportunities. To explore this transition, I conducted a qualitative study in Ethiopia with members of a non-profit organization that annually funds girls’ education, health care, and sport practice. To decrease my white, Western bias from my research, I applied Sen’s and Nussbaum’s capability approach (CA) theories to my methodology. Sen’s and Nussbaum’s theories serve as a framework for the study because they encourage recognition of growth and strengths within unique social and cultural contexts, rather than conceding possible deficits acknowledged by other nations and cultures. Coinciding with the CA, I used feminist theory to make sense of the girls’ understanding of and relationship with their patriarchal society. This qualitative study finds evidence that participants acknowledged sport’s positive impact on many aspects of their lives, including voice empowerment. Collectively, female participants expressed confidence in their professional futures, while recognizing differences in gender expectations as critical to family and community success