In today’s world, empowering adolescent girls with the tools to lead, speak up and make informed decisions is more important than ever. The GOAL (Girls’ Leadership Training) program, initiated by Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN), is doing just that—combining sport and structured mentorship to transform the lives of girls.
A Holistic Year-Long Journey
GOAL is a year-long leadership and life skills program designed for adolescent girls aged 12 to 17. It consists of nine months of weekly, school-based sessions, followed by a three-month preparation and monitoring phase. Using a playful and participatory approach, the training is structured lies in four thoughtfully designed modules:
🌿 Be Yourself – understanding identity and values
🏃♀️ Be Healthy – focusing on physical and mental wellbeing
💪 Be Empowered – building voice, confidence and leadership
💰 Be Money Savvy – promoting financial literacy and future planning
Each module uses sport, discussion, games and team activities to make learning active, relatable, and memorable. Whether through football/volleyball drills or group storytelling, every session is crafted to build confidence, teamwork and critical thinking.
Growing Reach, Local Impact
Since its inception, GOAL has reached over 1,700 girls across 12 schools and 17 camps in Nepal. A shorter five-day camp version also allows the program to reach girls in more remote areas, proving that meaningful change doesn’t need a perfect setting—it just needs purpose and passion.
2024–2025: A Year of Growth at Shree Janaki Secondary School
In the 2024–2025 program year, GOAL was implemented at Shree Janaki Secondary School, a government school in Pokhara-17, Mahatgauda, just 6 km from EWN. The school serves students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom face challenges such as limited parental supervision and lack of access to extracurricular activities.
At Shree Janaki Secondary School, GOAL reached 77 girls from classes 6 to 10. To make the sessions engaging, participants were divided into football and volleyball groups, encouraging them to develop discipline, physical fitness and collaboration. But GOAL went far beyond sport—it included art, storytelling, experience sharing and group discussions creating a rich environment for creative expression and personal growth.
Facilitators and volunteers employed diverse teaching strategies including role play, lectures, games, presentations, topic related activities and personal storytelling. This helped girls connect with the content deeply and reflect on their values, choices and aspirations.
Meaningful Lessons, Real-Life Topics
Each session tackled topics relevant to the girls’ lives. From non-verbal communication in Say It with Silence to understanding peer pressure, body image and consent the sessions created space for honest conversations.
Girls explored topics like:
- Peer Pressure used role play to compare positive versus negative influences from friends.
- Gender in Our Community encouraged reflection on gender roles and stereotypes using group discussions.
- Consent, Healthy Relationships, and Gender-Based Violence sessions fostered respectful interactions and safe boundaries.
- Wants vs. Needs, Understanding Money, Banking, and Saving Plans focused on economic literacy and financial independence
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Puberty, and Menstruation Myths tackled taboos and built awareness about health and hygiene.
- Healthy relationships and gender-based violence awareness
These sessions not only informed but empowered the girls to question, reflect and act with purpose.
Impact Through Voices and Actions
The impact of the GOAL program at Shree Janaki Secondary School was significant. Many participants expressed their transformation in confidence, leadership and self-awareness.
The transformation in participants was visible and heartfelt. Many reported feelings more confident, expressive and ready to lead.
“The program taught me to believe in myself. Playing football has made me more confident in leading others.” — Anusha Sharma
Teachers noted improvements in playing football and volleyball, while parents saw their daughters become more communicative and responsible at home.
A Ripple of Change
The GOAL program is more than a training—it is a movement toward equality, leadership and resilience. By using sport as a foundation and life skills as the pillars, GOAL helps girls realize their potential and become changemakers in their communities.
At Shree Janaki Secondary School, the program’s success stands as a model of what’s possible when young girls are given space, support and belief. As EWN continues to expand the GOAL program, the vision remains clear: to ensure every girl, no matter her background, has the opportunity to grow, lead and thrive.
By investing in girls today, we build stronger, more equitable communities tomorrow.
