Mutola Cup is a football league played in 55 districts throughout Mozambique, functioning as a platform for comprehensive sexuality education in a rights-based approach for girls. The education is delivered by football coaches trained in evidence-based methods based on social psychology and behavioural science promoting behaviour change to healthy sexual practices, in order for girls to be able to shape their own future. Coaches create safe spaces for girls in football teams where girls build agency and increase knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Coaches also engage community members on the sidelines to create understanding of their role in girls’ health and well-being, with the aim of changing harmful norms and practices that today prevent girls from accessing their rights and getting equal opportunities by increasing awareness in communities around girls’ rights. Through the Mutola Cup, we aim at providing girls with access to sports, play and safe spaces where they are provided with support from their football coach and peers, receive information and support around their rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights, in order to prevent domestic & sexual violence and abuse, unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancies, STIs & HIV. Through the education and support that the coaches provide, we also advance girls’ mental and physical well-being as well as their continuation in school.
Mutola Cup: a comprehensive SRHR education platform
