Let Her Play: Closing the Gender Dropout Gap in Sport
Sport has the power to transform lives—building confidence, leadership, teamwork, and health. Yet for millions of girls, that opportunity ends too soon. By age 14, girls are dropping out of sport at twice the rate of boys—and in some regions, six times higher.
Street Child United’s #LetHerPlay campaign tackles this urgent issue. Drawing on global statistics, our survey of 24 partner organisations in 19 countries, and focus group discussions with young leaders, we outline the barriers driving girls out of sport—and the solutions to keep them playing.
Grounded in three pillars – Safety, Fun, and Accessibility – our framework calls for systemic change to make sport equitable, inclusive, and sustainable for girls in vulnerable communities.
Why Girls Leave Sport
In 2024, we surveyed 24 of our partner organisations across 19 countries and held focus groups with young leaders. The findings were stark:
- Nearly 9 in 10 partners agreed that vulnerable girls are more likely to drop out of sport than boys.
- Almost half reported dropout rates of over 25% once girls reached age 14.
- One in five said more than half of girls left sport at that age.
Behind those numbers are familiar and overlapping stories. Many girls are told that sport “isn’t for them.” Others are pulled out to help with household duties, or pushed towards early marriage. For some, unsafe facilities or the lack of safe transport makes simply getting to training a risk. Menstrual shame, lack of products, and poor hygiene facilities push more girls out. And without female coaches or role models, it becomes hard to imagine a future in sport at all.
As one young leader in our focus groups explained: “We can’t become what we cannot see.”
What Keeps Girls Playing
The good news is that change is possible—and already happening in pockets around the world. Our partners shared interventions that are making a difference:
In Brazil, Em Busca de Uma Estrela runs female-only environments and brings in ambassadors from the Brazilian national team. In Palestine, Sports for Life uses trauma-sensitive coaching and family engagement to support girls. In the Philippines, Fairplay for All provides scholarships and pathways into varsity sport, giving girls visible role models.
Across countries, one theme is consistent: when sport is safe, fun, and accessible, girls stay.
That’s the framework for our campaign:
- Safety – through safeguarding, safe transport, and girls-only sessions where needed.
- Fun – because joy is the best motivator to keep coming back.
- Accessibility – from menstrual health support to scholarships, and tackling stereotypes by engaging families and communities.
A Movement for Change
Our campaign isn’t just about fixing programmes on the ground. It’s about changing systems. By transforming statistics into stories, we want to challenge cultural norms, influence policy, and make gender equity in sport a global priority.
That’s why #LetHerPlay will take centre stage at the Street Child World Cup 2026, where girls will not only compete but also lead advocacy efforts. We’re also developing a Gender Equity Toolkit designed by young people themselves, and running workshops and storytelling campaigns across our partner regions.
The goal is simple but urgent: to close the gender gap in sports participation and ensure that turning 14 is a milestone, not a deadline.
Why it Matters
When we keep a girl playing, we keep her dreaming. We give her more than skills on the pitch—we give her health, resilience, friendships, and confidence to lead. And when entire communities see girls thriving in sport, it challenges deep-rooted stereotypes and opens the door for the next generation.
This doesn’t happen by chance. It takes commitment, investment, and a global movement that believes girls have the right to play.
Street Child United is calling on governments, NGOs, brands, and individuals to stand with us. Together, we can rewrite the story.
Let’s make sure every girl, everywhere, has the chance to step onto the pitch, raise her head high, and play.
It’s time to #LetHerPlay.
