La League; empowering girls and creating gender equality though football in Nicaragua - Phase 2 SUMMARY 
Girls and young women in developing countries often face two substantial obstacles: teenage pregnancies and child marriages. La League, a project to empower girls and young women to overcome these obstacles, is being implemented in 10 communities of San Rafael Del Sur, Nicaragua, from January 2020 to December 2021. Football (soccer) is the heart of the project, stimulating girls (aged 12-24) to play the sport and help talented players become professional sporting heroes. Football is used to transform gender norms and raise awareness on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

This project builds on the pilot project that was previously implemented in 10 communities in the Chontales and Chinandega region, that will receive additional support for girls’ football to rise to a higher level; as a sport and a driver for girls’ empowerment. It is part of a broader programme being carried out in Brazil and the Netherlands, and partnering with the Cruyff Foundation and Women Win.