During the PASTECHL Bar 2026 Conference, held in Bar, Montenegro, from April 23 to 26, 2026, the Erasmus+ Sport project WELEAD – WomEn LEADership in Sport: Promoting the Capacity of Sport Clubs to Increase Female Participation as Leaders was officially presented. The project was introduced by Milovan Bulajić within a special session dedicated to international projects and initiatives in the fields of sport, education, and social inclusion.
WELEAD is an international Erasmus+ Sport project focused on enhancing the role of women in society, particularly unemployed and inactive women, through the development of leadership knowledge and skills in sport. The project is coordinated by the Italian organization AICS and implemented in cooperation with partners from Italy, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, including the Physical Activity and Sports Tech for Healthy Lifestyles (PASTECHL), the Western Balkan Sport Innovation Lab and the Faculty for Sport and Physical Education at the University of Montenegro.
A key aspect of the project is the creation of educational and practical opportunities that empower women to become leaders within grassroots sport organizations and local communities. Through the WELEAD Academy, participants will engage in a blended non-formal educational program consisting of smart e-learning modules, workshops, and internship activities focused on gender equality, leadership development, and social inclusion through sport.
The project also includes awareness campaigns, sport events, educational toolkits, and dissemination activities aimed at promoting equal opportunities and increasing female participation in sport leadership positions. Through international cooperation and innovative educational approaches, WELEAD seeks to strengthen grassroots sport organizations and contribute to a more inclusive and gender-equal sport environment.
The project has a duration of 24 months and a total budget of €200,000.
Project outlines and short biographies of the presenters can be found in the Book of Abstracts available at the following link.