The GSMP pairs emerging female leaders from around the globe with senior executives from leading U.S. companies in the sports sector for a month-long mentorship experience where mentors work with emerging leaders in developing strategic plans for social impact. The program provides an opportunity for American mentors, program alumnae, and partners to develop a lasting relationship and enhanced global network. Through this expanding web, the international emerging leaders and American organizations create a positive ripple effect toward a more secure, inclusive, and equitable global society.
Key program accomplishments over the past decade include:
Today, the U.S. Department of State-espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) celebrated a decade of international efforts by the Department and its partners to strengthen society by empowering women and girls through sport. This public-private partnership has promoted Title IX, the landmark U.S. legislation that affords women and girls equal opportunity in education and sports, on a global scale and as an example to be adapted by communities and countries to empower women and girls.
- 144 female emerging leaders in the sports sector have participated in GSMP.
- 45 U.S. companies have participated in GSMP as mentor organizations, including the Creative Artists Agency, ESPN, Gatorade, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, New Balance, Saatchi & Saatchi, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and the Women’s National Basketball Association.
- Through coordination with U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and partners the GSMP now has alumnae in 67 countries across the world.
- GSMP promotes key tenets of Title IX such as inclusion, access, and opportunity, and applies them globally. Sportswomen of the GSMP have positively and directly impacted over 350,000 people through their action plans developed in conjunction with their mentors.
- For its success in promoting gender equality worldwide, the GSMP received ESPN’s Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award in 2018, an honor that “celebrates people that have taken risks and used an innovative approach to helping the disadvantaged through the power of sports.”
For further information, please contact ECA-Press@state.gov.
