🇬🇧 GENS project officially starts with the Kick-off Meeting

13th Feb 2026

The Erasmus+ Sport project GENS – Gender Equality Needs Sport officially started with its online Kick-off Meeting, bringing together all partner organisations involved in this new European journey dedicated to gender equality, inclusion and equal opportunities in amateur sport.

The meeting marked the first important step of the project and allowed partners to align on objectives, activities, responsibilities and expected results. It was also an opportunity to start building a shared working method based on cooperation, dialogue and the common commitment to fight gender stereotypes in sport.

A European project for gender equality in sport

GENS was created to promote equal opportunities in amateur sport by supporting sport associations, managers, coaches and youth workers in recognising and addressing gender-based discrimination.

The project focuses on a key idea: sport is not only a place where people train their bodies, but also an educational environment where values, behaviours and social relationships are shaped. For this reason, sport associations can play an important role in challenging stereotypes, promoting respect and creating safe spaces where everyone can participate freely.

The project will work on two main levels:

• supporting sport managers in building more inclusive organisations;

• providing coaches, trainers and youth workers with practical tools to promote gender equality during sport activities.

The Kick-off Meeting

During the online Kick-off Meeting, the partners presented their organisations, their local contexts and their experience in the fields of sport, education, inclusion and community work.

The meeting focused on the general structure of the project, the work plan and the main deliverables to be developed during the implementation period. Partners discussed the project timeline, the communication strategy, internal coordination procedures and the first activities to be carried out.

A specific part of the meeting was dedicated to the first phase of the project, which will focus on the role of sport associations and managers in fighting gender stereotypes from within. This phase will lead to the development of a booklet containing good practices and practical recommendations to help sport organisations become more inclusive at managerial, organisational and communication level.

Building a shared working method

The Kick-off Meeting was also essential to define how the consortium will cooperate during the project. Partners agreed on common communication tools, documentation procedures and responsibilities for the development of the project outputs.

The meeting confirmed the importance of creating materials that are clear, accessible and useful for grassroots sport organisations. The aim is not only to raise awareness, but also to provide practical tools that can be used directly by sport associations, coaches and youth workers in their daily activities.

Next steps

After the Kick-off Meeting, partners will start working on the first project materials, including communication tools, website contents and the first booklet dedicated to inclusive sport associations.

The next phase will also include the preparation of the first Transnational Meeting, where partners will explore topics such as gender identity, equal opportunities in amateur sport, inclusive governance, communication and organisational psychology.

Through these activities, GENS aims to contribute to the creation of more inclusive sport environments across Europe, where participation is not limited by stereotypes and where every person can feel respected, represented and free to take part.

GENS has officially started — and this is the beginning of a shared European path towards more equal and inclusive sport.