Ongoing Projects

WomEn LEADership in Sport: Promoting the Capacity of Sport Clubs to Increase Female Participation as Leaders (WELEAD)

Project Title:

Women Leadership in Sport: Promoting the Capacity of Sport Clubs to Increase Female Participation as Leaders (WELEAD)

Overview:

WELEAD is a capacity-building project under the Erasmus+ Sport 2025 action (Project No. 101243483), co-funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). It is implemented by a consortium from two EU Member States and two Western Balkan countries, coordinated by Associazione Italiana Cultura Sport (AICS) in Italy.

The project aims to enhance the role of women in society by strengthening their leadership skills through sport. It focuses particularly on unemployed and inactive women, empowering them to participate actively in grassroots sport structures and assume leadership responsibilities. Through a blended WELEAD Academy model, the initiative will equip women with skills in management, organization, and values-based leadership, while simultaneously engaging them in community sport activation.

Through coordinated training, capacity strengthening of local clubs, and high-visibility dissemination activities, WELEAD supports gender equality and social involvement by promoting female leadership pathways in grassroots sport across Europe.

 Key Objectives:

  • Increase the leadership capacity of women in sport, with a specific focus on unemployed and inactive women.

  • Strengthen the institutional ability of grassroots sports clubs to support and integrate women in decision-making roles.

  • Develop and pilot a blended non-formal WELEAD Academy training format combining online learning and practical engagement through internships.

  • Organize sport events and local outreach initiatives led by trainees to promote inclusion and gender equality within the community.

  • Foster regional cooperation and knowledge exchange between EU and Western Balkan organizations in the field of women’s empowerment through sport.

 Main Activities:

  • Training of five coaches in each pilot country to enable the delivery of inclusive leadership education in sports clubs.

  • Implementation of the WELEAD Academy for 120 women (online modules hosted on OC BiH Moodle Platform and supervised internships).

  • Organization of eight community sport events led by participants to strengthen real-world leadership practice.

  • Awareness campaign and development of an advocacy toolkit addressing the gender gap in sport leadership.

  • Dissemination of results through national and international events, a project website, multilingual publications, and a final conference.

  • Translation of all major outputs into local languages of the pilot regions to support sustainability and usability.

 Target Groups:

  • Unemployed and inactive women aspiring to take leadership roles in sport.

  • Grassroots sport clubs and their coaching workforce.

  • Stakeholders and policymakers promoting gender equality in sport.

  • Families and community members participating in inclusive sport events.

 Partnership & Coordination:

The project involves a committed consortium of six partners:

  • Associazione Italiana Cultura Sport – AICS (Italy) – coordinator

  • CSIT – International Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation (Austria)

  • Sarajevo Susret Kultura – SMOC (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

  • Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina – NOC BIH (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

  • Western Balkan sport Innovation Lab (Montenegro)

  • University of Montenegro – UOM (Montenegro)

 Project Duration and Budget:

  • Start Date: 1 January 2026

  • Duration: 24 months

  • Funding Programme: Erasmus+ Sport

  • Funding Agency: European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

  • Grant Amount: €200,000.00

Relevance and Impact:

WELEAD promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women through sport by strengthening leadership pathways and creating equal opportunities at the grassroots level. The project emphasizes inclusion, skill development, and international cooperation—responding to Erasmus+ priorities on capacity building, active participation, and social engagement of women. By equipping community sports actors with practical expertise and generating visible local impact, WELEAD contributes to long-term change in cultural attitudes and institutional structures, advancing female representation in sport leadership roles across Europe.

Keywords:

Women in sport, sport leadership, empowerment, gender equality, grassroots sport, capacity building, non-formal learning, community activation, female participation