Graced by Mr. Lukelo Wililo, President of the Tanzania Boxing Federation, as Guest of Honour, the National Women’s Boxing Tournament 2026 convened female athletes, coaches, referees, sports leaders, community members, and youth supporters at Mbezi Beach, Dar es Salaam for a high-impact platform advancing women’s participation, safe sport, and gender equality. The tournament provided a visible and inclusive space where women athletes demonstrated skill, discipline, and resilience, while strengthening community engagement and reshaping perceptions around women’s participation in combat sports. Co-organized by Global Impact Transformation (GIT) and the Tanzania Boxing Federation, the initiative engaged 165 participants and integrated competitive boxing with targeted capacity-building sessions on athlete rights, leadership, and prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). By combining sport with structured awareness and dialogue, the initiative promoted safer sporting environments, strengthened athlete confidence, and reinforced the role of sport as a platform for empowerment, protection, and social progress.
Addressing Gender-Based Violence in sport and digital spaces
By Communication team
Across many societies, women in combat sports continue to face stigma, stereotypes, and unequal opportunity. Boxing remains widely perceived as a male-dominated space, often limiting participation, visibility, and institutional support for women and girls. In addition to these structural barriers, female athletes are increasingly exposed to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), including online harassment, body shaming, and targeted abuse on digital platforms, which can discourage participation and weaken confidence.The tournament responded to these challenges by creating a visible public platform where female athletes demonstrated discipline, confidence, strength, and competitive excellence. Community members witnessed firsthand the talent and commitment of women boxers, contributing to broader recognition of their role in sport and reinforcing the importance of safe and respectful environments both on and off the field.
The presence of senior leadership from the Tanzania Boxing Federation further reflected a growing commitment to inclusion and athlete welfare. Female athletes also engaged directly with federation representatives, including leaders from the Women’s Committee and the federation secretariat, alongside Global Impact Transformation leadership. This engagement created a valuable space for mentorship, motivation, and dialogue, enabling athletes to feel supported and connected within the wider sporting ecosystem.
Alongside the tournament, Global Impact Transformation facilitated a dedicated capacity-building session addressing challenges faced by women athletes in both physical and digital spaces. The training covered prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), athlete rights, reporting pathways, leadership development, wellbeing, and awareness of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), including digital harassment and online targeting of women athletes.
The initiative contributed to stronger visibility of women and girls in boxing, increased awareness of athlete rights, greater understanding of GBV and TFGBV risks, and enhanced confidence among participants. The event also strengthened engagement between athletes and federation leadership while deepening collaboration between Global Impact Transformation and the Tanzania Boxing Federation. Strong public turnout further reflected growing community support for women in boxing and safer sport environments.
Voices from the Event
“This initiative by Global Impact Transformation is not only timely, but transformative for the future of boxing in Tanzania. Seeing young women step into this space with confidence, supported by structured training and awareness on critical issues such as gender-based violence, gives us great hope. As a federation, we are committed to creating inclusive and safe environments, and partnerships like this strengthen that mission.”
Lukelo Wililo, President, Tanzania Boxing Federation
“Being part of this seminar changed how I see myself, not only as a boxer, but as a young woman with purpose and strength. I learned how to improve in my sport, protect myself, speak up, and support other girls like me. Global Impact Transformation gave us confidence, knowledge, and a sense of belonging in boxing.”
Maria Thomas, Female Boxer
Global Impact Transformation believes sport can be a transformative platform for empowerment, prevention, leadership, and social change. Through its Women in Sports Initiative, GIT is working to ensure women and girls are not excluded from opportunity spaces, but supported to lead, compete, and thrive within them.
The organization remains committed to advancing safe sport systems, women’s leadership pathways, digital safety awareness, and inclusive sporting ecosystems across Tanzania.
Following the success of the tournament, Global Impact Transformation aims to expand similar engagements to additional regions, deepen awareness on GBV and TFGBV in sport, strengthen safeguarding mechanisms, and create stronger mentorship pathways for young women athletes. Future priorities also include collaboration with federations, clubs, schools, and strategic partners to scale women’s participation, protection, and leadership in sport.
A Shared Call to Action
When women and girls thrive in sport, communities become stronger, safer, and more inclusive. Investing in women’s participation, leadership, and protection in sport is an investment in equality, dignity, and national progress.
Global Impact Transformation welcomes collaboration with sports institutions, government bodies, development partners, media actors, and private sector stakeholders committed to advancing safe sport, women’s leadership, and gender equality in Tanzania.
To explore collaboration opportunities, please contact: info@globalimpacttransformation.org
