Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 21 hours ago
Who gets to play—and who gets left behind—depends on how systems are designed.
Did you know?
Only 6% of sports research focuses exclusively on female athletes.
Only 52% of countries have institutions that integrate gender-responsive approaches.
For decades, women have been expected to adapt to systems built for men. In this episode, professional footballers Leicy Santos, Lucia Di Guglielmo, and Sofia Cantore, in partnership with the Washington Spirit, share their perspectives on what changes when women are no longer treated as exceptions, but as the people the system is meant to serve.
Because equality isn't about treating everyone the same—it's about designing systems that work for everyone.
Who designs the game determines who gets to play.
📖 Learn more about the research behind this campaign:
UNRISD and UN Women, "Understanding Backlash Against Gender Equality: Evidence, Trends and Policy Responses": unrisd.org/en/library/publications/understanding-backlash-against-gender-equality-evidence-trends-and-policy-responses
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Women's Rights in Motion is a five-part campaign by UNRISD and Assist Women, in collaboration with the International Gender Champions (IGC), the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), and Football for the Goals. Through the lens of football, the series connects players’ lived experiences with UN research on access, opportunity, pay, care, and rights, inviting us to read the systems we live in through football.
Who gets to play—and who gets left behind—depends on how systems are designed.
Did you know?
Only 6% of sports research focuses exclusively on female athletes.
Only 52% of countries have institutions that integrate gender-responsive approaches.
For decades, women have been expected to adapt to systems built for men. In this episode, professional footballers Leicy Santos, Lucia Di Guglielmo, and Sofia Cantore, in partnership with the Washington Spirit, share their perspectives on what changes when women are no longer treated as exceptions, but as the people the system is meant to serve.
Because equality isn't about treating everyone the same—it's about designing systems that work for everyone.
Who designs the game determines who gets to play.
📖 Learn more about the research behind this campaign:
UNRISD and UN Women, "Understanding Backlash Against Gender Equality: Evidence, Trends and Policy Responses": unrisd.org/en/library/publications/understanding-backlash-against-gender-equality-evidence-trends-and-policy-responses
***
Women's Rights in Motion is a five-part campaign by UNRISD and Assist Women, in collaboration with the International Gender Champions (IGC), the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), and Football for the Goals. Through the lens of football, the series connects players’ lived experiences with UN research on access, opportunity, pay, care, and rights, inviting us to read the systems we live in through football.
