“Every person, created in God’s image – women, girls, or individuals with disabilities – has the right to participate in sports, free from violence and discrimination, with equal dignity and respect,” says Dr. Reverend Cliff Bird, an ordained Minister of the United Church in Solomon Islands

In many Pacific communities, it’s not sport that gives up on girls – it’s people in power who stop them from playing.

Across the region, girls want to play. They want to run, kick, jump, laugh. They want to feel the joy of movement, the thrill of a goal, the camaraderie of teammates. But too often, their path to the field is blocked – not by lack of interest or motivation – but by community and faith leaders who hold the power to either open doors or keep them shut.

In the Pacific, where communities are deeply religious and predominantly Christian, faith leaders especially, hold immense influence. Their voices shape values, guide behaviours, and carry moral authority – making them critical allies in challenging harmful gender norms and promoting safe, inclusive spaces for women and girls.

That’s why UN Women, through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership), in partnership  with Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), developed and co-created the initiative Golkipa.

Golkipa is not a programme or campaign. It’s a new approach – one that works directly with the people who tend to hold the most influence in Pacific society: male community and faith leaders. The goal? To create safe, supportive spaces for girls and women to play sport, be seen, be celebrated, be healthy, and thrive.

UN Women and OFC then worked closely with the OFC’s member association – the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) – and No2ndPlace, an agency creating social change through sport, to further strengthen and localise the initiative. SIFF was a natural partner, as OFC’s Just Play programme, which promotes health, safeguarding, and gender equality messages to children through football, was already active in many communities across the Solomon Islands, providing an established platform and trusted entry points for engagement.

No2ndPlace was commissioned to conduct community surveys to better understand local attitudes, perceptions, and barriers affecting women and girls. These findings informed the development of tailored tools and resources, which were subsequently taken into the field for testing to ensure they were responsive to community realities.

This collaborative process helped refine Golkipa into a context-driven, community-informed approach grounded in evidence and shaped by those it aims to support.

At its core, Golkipa is grounded in the belief that sport can be a powerful tool to prevent violence against women and girls, but only when communities come together to challenge the gender norms that reinforce exclusion and discrimination.

Golkipa works at the intersection of faith, sport, and leadership. Through three simple but powerful pillars – Play, Discuss, Believe – the initiative helps shift both attitudes and actions.

  • Play brings communities together through trauma-informed, inclusive sporting experiences. It’s about rediscovering joy, connection, and recognition, especially for those who may have been left out in the past.
  • Discuss offers a space for community leaders to reflect on harmful gender norms, talk about violence and prevention, and explore ways to build safer, more equitable communities.
  • Believe equips faith leaders with theological resources – Bible studies, liturgies, sermons – that connect the values of dignity, equality and joy to both sport and faith.

A facilitator guides participants through a discussion card activity designed to spark dialogue and reflection within the community. Photo: No2ndPlace.

The pilot, planned for 2026, in the Western Province of Solomon Islands, will run alongside a 20-week Play football programme designed specifically for women and girls.

Golkipa builds on the legacy of Pacific women’s movements, sport advocates, and community organisations working to end violence. It recognises that changing behaviours means first changing beliefs, and that prevention requires action not just from individuals, but from the most powerful voices in the room.

“So many times, women and girls are always in the kitchen. Before, when I was single, I used to play. Now that I am married, I just stay in the house. I really like playing sports,” reflects Evelyn Lebe, a resident of the Marama Eloteve Community in the Solomon Islands. Then she smiled and sprinted off with the ball to join team members who are also her neighbours. Evelyn is now one of the many women reclaiming their space on the field through Golkipa.

Because when community leaders stand behind girls, they don’t just change the game, they change lives.

Written by Shazia Usman (UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office) with contributions from Kylie Bates and Shabina Khan, and Dr. Teeny Aiken (Oceania Football Confederation).