Macedo de Cavaleiros in Portugal hosted a conference dedicated to the Fair Game project, an initiative aimed at promoting gender equality and improving women’s and girls’ access to sport.
The event took place at the auditorium of the Macedo de Cavaleiros Cultural Centre and brought together representatives from the sports sector and local authorities to discuss the importance of creating more inclusive sporting opportunities.
The conference highlighted the need to increase female participation in football, futsal and other sports, challenge gender stereotypes and encourage the development of sports policies that ensure equal opportunities for everyone.
António Ramos, President of the Bragança Football Association (AF Bragança), emphasised the importance of cooperation with municipalities in developing inclusive sports policies throughout the region. Increasing the number of female athletes in both football and futsal was identified as one of the association’s priorities.
The event also featured contributions from Paulo Jorge Araújo, Fair Game project manager; Marco Quina, the Bragança Region women’s under-15 football team coach; Sérgio Borges, Mayor of Macedo de Cavaleiros; José Borba, Head of the Municipality’s Sports Division; Margarida Pires, President of the Bragança Region Diabetes Association; and Carlos Alves, Technical Director of the Bragança Basketball Association.
Funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, Fair Game – Gender-equal Access to Movement and Exercise brings together partners from six countries: Portugal, Kosovo, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Croatia. The project is coordinated by the Municipality of Peja, Kosovo, and is scheduled to run until December 2027.
Through local engagement and international cooperation, Fair Game aims to address social barriers that limit women’s participation in sport and access to leadership positions, while supporting the development of more inclusive sporting environments.
The conference in Macedo de Cavaleiros represents an opportunity to strengthen local cooperation and advance gender equality in sport.
