In celebration of International Women’s Day, the National Basketball Association (NBA) (NBA.com) and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) (TheBAL.com) announced this BasMonday the launch of several initiatives to promote gender equality and economic inclusion across Africa.
The initiatives build on the NBA family’s collective efforts to promote equality and social justice in the United States, including the creation of the NBA Foundation and the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition last year.
In Africa, the NBA and BAL’s efforts will focus on raising awareness of gender-based violence, supporting girls’ education, and increasing female participation in basketball at all levels. Each of the leagues will use their individual platforms and resources to promote gender equality among fans and key stakeholders and collaborate with corporate and community partners on new programs and capacity building initiatives to help minimize the gender gap in both leagues’ operations. In addition, the NBA and BAL intend to work and create partnerships with more African companies in all of their business activities on the continent.
“Social responsibility has been an integral part of the NBA’s youth development efforts on the continent for over three decades,” said NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams. “Following the creation of the NBA Foundation and the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition in the U.S., and building on our broader efforts to help create a more equal and just society, the NBA and BAL look forward to deepening their commitments to partners, community leaders and other stakeholders in order to promote gender equality and create a more inclusive economic environment in Africa.”
“The Basketball Africa League is committed to fighting the stereotypes, prejudices and barriers that often prevent women in Africa from achieving their dreams,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “These initiatives will help ensure that girls and women across the continent have the opportunities and resources that will help them grow in the field and in life.”
Specific actions and programming that the NBA and BAL will implement over the next three years include addressing gender-based violence through educational workshops, participating in anti-violence campaigns and leveraging the influence and leadership of league players as well as supporting girls’ education through the development of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) based sports curriculum for girls ages 14 and under, inspiring them to explore areas that prepare them for future employment.
