Football has a real impact on girls’ lives both on and off the pitch. The organisation recognises that women’s football is a powerful tool for promoting gender equality, both by empowering the girls who play and by presenting women in new roles as athletes. Girls learn the importance of teamwork and build their self-confidence and leadership skills. Some of the girls have even gone onto become Ladies’ Turn trainers themselves. Practice takes place in public places, enabling girls to showcase their talents, form an identity outside of the home and openly abolish any misconceptions about girls in sport. “We are women. We want to have the same status as men,” said a girl from the team representing Koumbal — a region in Senegal.