🇬🇧 Meet the GENS Team: four European organisations united for equality in sport

A project co-funded by the European Union

Every meaningful change starts with people.GENS – Gender Equality Needs Sport brings together four organisations from different European contexts — from coastal villages to large capital cities — all united by a shared mission: make sport a fair, welcoming space for everyone.

Different backgrounds, same goal.That’s what makes this partnership strong.

🌍 Who are the GENS partners?

🇮🇹 ASD BALLIAMO (Italy – Project Coordinator)

A sports dance association in Vada (Livorno).Their strong community role goes beyond dance:Balliamo creates safe spaces for personal growth, inclusion and intergenerational exchange.

They fight daily against the stereotype that dance is “only for girls” — proving that talent has no gender.

🇱🇹 VŠĮ SPORTUOKIME KARTU (Lithuania)

Name meaning: Let’s Do Sports Together.Working with more than 100 families in Kaunas, they promote:

• football for girls

• dance for boys

• healthy lifestyles for everyone

They face stereotypes every day — and challenge them with creativity and determination.

🇮🇹 YWCA ITALIA (Italy)

Part of the global YWCA movement since 1855.They operate community spaces, shelters and youth programmes in:

• Rome

• Turin

• Torre Pellice

They bring expertise in gender equality, empowerment and educational psychology — essential pillars for GENS.

🇵🇹 DES – Desporto para a Educação e Saúde (Portugal)

A growing NGO using sport as a tool for education and wellbeing. In a country where 73% of the population does not practice regular sport (Eurobarometer 2022), their mission is urgent:increase participation and break beliefs about “male” and “female” sports.

🧩 Why this partnership works

Each partner contributes unique strengths:

Partner	Expertise	Added Value
BALLIAMO	Sport & inclusion in small towns	Community trust + strong engagement
KARTU	Mixed teams, gender inclusion in practice	Innovation in approach + daily field experience
YWCA	Gender equality & youth empowerment	Pedagogical tools + psychological perspective
DES	Education & health promotion	Impact on adolescents + national focus on access

Complementary skills = real change, not theory.

🤝 What unites us

• A belief that sport is for everyone

• The desire to remove barriers for girls and boys

• A commitment to build a European community of equality

• The courage to challenge traditions when they limit potential

Together, we share knowledge, co-create tools, and support each other — across borders, cultures and languages.

Because inclusion travels far when it travels together.

Our mission continues…

With training, international meetings, open resources and strong local involvement, GENS is creating a new European network ready to:

✨ replicate the methods✨ spread inclusion✨ promote future collaborations

GENS is not just a project — it is a movement toward equal participation in sport across Europe.

Stay connected 📲

Discover the people behind the project and follow all activities here:👉 www.oltrenetworklab.com/gens