Girls offside?

This thesis presents an analysis of the concept of empowerment in relation to sport projects for girls and young women in the Western Cape, South Africa. Empowerment is a common used term in the sport-for-development sector, yet a solid definition of the term in this context is often lacking. This research aims to show the strengths and weaknesses of genderbased football programs performed by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the Western Cape and their capability of achieving women’s empowerment. The findings indicate that most women’s football programs mainly focus on building life skills and selfesteem on individual level. The level in which the organizations are structurally embedded in society is relatively low. This has consequences for the extent in which empowerment through football can be achieved, since women and girls are highly influenced by their historically oppressing communities. To make the term more concrete, the author concludes by showing the difference between individual empowerment and community empowerment, which characterizes the two layers of empowerment distinguished in this thesis.