NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) today announced that they are supporting the Center for Women’s Global Leadership’s “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign” (16dayscampaign.org) the most widely-recognized and longest-running campaign for women’s rights in the world with the goal of eliminating of all forms of gender-based violence against women.  NBA Africa and the BAL’s participation in the campaign builds on the initiatives they collectively launched earlier this year (https://on.nba.com/3xmoUPz) to advance gender equality and economic inclusion in Africa.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign takes place every year from International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (Nov. 25) to International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10).  To support the campaign, NBA Africa and the BAL will jointly donate $5,000 to each of three NGOs on the continent that provide essential services to victims of gender-based violence: Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) (warifng.org) in Nigeria, Unies vers’elle (www.Uniesverselle.org) in Senegal and People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA) (https://bit.ly/3xkuAJY) in South Africa.  

NBA Africa and the BAL will also use their social media platforms to highlight the work of the NGOs in their respective countries, encourage men to take a leading role in driving positive social change in their communities, inspire basketball fans on the continent to stand against any form of discrimination against women, and advocate for a more just and inclusive society.  Following the campaign, NBA Africa, the BAL and community partner CARE (www.CARE.org) – an NGO that reaches more than 90 million people across more than 100 countries through poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid programs – will hold educational workshops focused on gender equality for BAL players, select participants in NBA Africa’s elite development programs, and Jr. NBA coaches.

“The 16 Days of Activism campaign is a powerful reminder that we have a long way to go in elevating women to an equal place in all aspects of society, not just in Africa but around the world,” said NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams.  “We believe NBA Africa and the BAL, in particular through our connection to male players and fans, can play an important role in promoting gender equality and building a safer and more inclusive environment for women in Africa.”

“The BAL is proud to support the 16 Days of Activism campaign and organizations in Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa that are combating gender-based violence year-round,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall.  “We are committed to supporting women in the communities where we operate and to providing more opportunities for women to grow as individuals, athletes and leaders.”

The NBA has a decades-long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg in 2010.  Since then, the league’s efforts in Africa have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through grassroots and elite development, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, the launch of the BAL, and more.