Ninth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

The notion of empowerment within the sport for development and peace (SDP) sector has burgeoned during the last decade, but despite popularity in policy and practice, there has been an absence of literature progressing sport based empowerment theorising. This paper responds to the call for theory development and application, which is seen as one way to progress the field. Thus, this paper attempts to apply, develop and refine gender-based sport empowerment (GBSE) as a theoretical framework through the work of the Zambian based Go Sisters programme. The analysis moves away from the simplistic application of gender and empowerment within SDP to reveal the mechanisms and social processes that enable women and girls to increase their capabilities to improve control over important life matters. We conclude that future conceptualisations of GBSE should account for the idiosyncratic nature and complexity of “gender” and its interplay with different dimensions of empowerment.