On International Women’s Day 2026, the UK-based international NGO Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) is calling for a new Commonwealth and African partnership to empower women and girls through sport, martial arts and community leadership programmes, arguing that prevention must sit alongside enforcement in tackling violence against women and girls.

While governments around the world are strengthening laws and policing responses to gender-based violence, the Youth Charter believes that community-based empowerment programmes delivered through sport and education must become a central pillar of prevention.

Across many Commonwealth nations and African Union member states, gender-based violence remains a serious social challenge affecting the safety, wellbeing and life opportunities of women and girls.

The Youth Charter’s proposal – announced to mark International Women’s Day – calls for the delivery of one million hours of free self-defence, leadership and confidence training for women and girls across the Commonwealth and Africa, delivered through community sport networks and youth development programmes.

The initiative would be implemented through the Youth Charter’s Community Campus model, which integrates sport, culture, education and digital skills to support youth empowerment and social development.

Sport as a Tool for Prevention

For more than three decades, the Youth Charter has promoted the role of sport for development and peace as a practical tool for building safer, healthier and more inclusive communities.

The organisation argues that while justice systems play a critical role in addressing perpetrators, sport provides a unique platform to build confidence, resilience and leadership among young women and girls before harm occurs.

Participation in sport – particularly martial arts and self-defence disciplines – can help develop:

• confidence and personal awareness
• emotional resilience under pressure
• understanding of personal boundaries
• leadership and teamwork skills.  

These life skills, the Youth Charter notes, are essential protective factors in helping young women navigate social environments that can sometimes feel unsafe.

Leadership of Janice Argyle Thompson

At the centre of this initiative is Janice Argyle Thompson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Youth Charter and a former World Karate Champion.

Drawing on her own experiences and decades of work in youth development, she has long advocated for martial arts as a powerful pathway to empowerment and confidence for women and girls.

Speaking ahead of International Women’s Day, she said:

“Martial arts are not about teaching violence – they are about teaching awareness, discipline and self-belief. These qualities empower women and girls to feel confident in their communities and in their own lives.” 

Her work has helped shape Youth Charter programmes across the United Kingdom, Africa and the Commonwealth, where sport is increasingly recognised as a vehicle for social change and youth leadership.

A Commonwealth and African Opportunity

The Youth Charter believes the proposal aligns closely with:

• UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality
• African Union Agenda 2063 youth development priorities
• Commonwealth commitments to youth empowerment and social inclusion
• global Sport for Development and Peace initiatives.

Through partnerships with community sport organisations, martial arts federations, youth networks and educational institutions, the initiative could reach thousands of young women across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the wider Commonwealth.

The programme would be trauma-informed, female-centred and community-led, ensuring that participation promotes safety, dignity and personal development.

Community Campuses as Local Hubs

Delivery of the programme would take place through Youth Charter Community Campuses, which act as local hubs for youth engagement.

These campuses provide integrated programmes combining:

• sport and physical activity
• education and leadership development
• cultural and creative expression
• digital and life skills training.  

By embedding empowerment programmes within communities, the model seeks to ensure that prevention is sustainable, locally led and culturally relevant.

A Call for Global Leadership

As the international community reflects on progress made in advancing gender equality, the Youth Charter is urging governments, development agencies and sporting institutions to invest in prevention strategies that empower women and girls.

The organisation argues that tackling violence against women and girls requires a whole-society approach, combining strong legal frameworks with community-based initiatives that build confidence, opportunity and social cohesion.

International Women’s Day 2026 therefore presents an opportunity for African, Commonwealth and global leaders to work together to expand the role of sport as a platform for empowerment.

As the Youth Charter emphasises:

“If we are serious about ending violence against women and girls, prevention must begin in the community – on the training mat, the playing field and in the spaces where confidence, dignity and respect are learned.”