Boxgirls International is a social non-profit organization that supports women and girls using boxing programmes as a catalyst for social change in their cities. Boxgirls believes that the key to community development and social change is the empowerment of women and that well designed and delivered sport and leadership programmes change girls‘ lives. Boxgirls International works with innovative partner projects in the field to deliver excellent coaching and life skills modules through club and school programmes as well as outreach activities to business, government and media decision makers to improve women’s sport and social participation in general.
Boxgirls International’s strengths are among the following:
- Quality coaching and well designed and delivered sports programs for women and girls
- Advocacy for girls and women’s empowerment through sport
- Holistic approach to community development
Through these three pillars, Boxgirls programs not only empower women and young girls, but also have an impact all parts of a community: parents, government and civil society institutions, boys, men.
History of the Boxgirls (Berlin, Nairobi and Cape Town)
Heather Cameron, a professor at Freie Universität Berlin and the University of the Western Cape South Africa, with a Ph.D. in social and political thought, wrestled with the question of how to make strong, vibrant and inclusive communities. Her hypothesis: create strong girls. She tested this by creating a boxing club in 2005, in Berlin’s inner city district of Kreuzburg.
From there, Dr. Cameron helped establish, in coordination with Kenyan boxer and professional coach Analo Anjere (Priest), a program in the Eastlands of Nairobi, Kenya which is now an independently running Boxgirls program reaching young girls in several regions throughout city. Boxgirls International also has an affiliate program in Cape Town, South Africa.
