WELEAD: Women Leadership in Sport: Promoting the Capacity of Sport Clubs to Increase Female Participation as Leaders
Overview
WELEAD is a capacity-building project funded by the Erasmus+ Sport programme (2025), aimed at strengthening the role of women in sport leadership. The project focuses on empowering unemployed and inactive women by developing their leadership skills and supporting their active participation in grassroots sport structures.
Implemented by an international consortium of partners from the EU and the Western Balkans, WELEAD promotes gender equality, inclusion, and community engagement through sport.
Objectives
- Strengthen leadership skills of women in sport
- Support grassroots sport clubs in integrating women into decision-making roles
- Develop and implement the WELEAD Academy training model
- Promote gender equality through community sport initiatives
- Foster cooperation between EU and Western Balkan organizations
Main Activities
- Training of coaches to deliver inclusive leadership education
- Implementation of the WELEAD Academy for 120 women
- Organization of community sport events led by participants
- Awareness campaigns and advocacy activities
- Dissemination through events, publications, and digital platforms
Partnership
The project is coordinated by AICS (Italy) and involves partners from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, including WBSI Lab and the University of Montenegro.
Project Details
Programme: Erasmus+ Sport
Duration: 24 months (2026–2027)
Budget: €200,000
Impact
WELEAD contributes to increasing female participation in sport leadership by creating new opportunities, strengthening institutional capacities, and promoting inclusive practices at the grassroots level.