Female cricket team UP Warriorz partners with UN Women to promote gender equality in India

[Press release]

Bengaluru, 29 February 2024: In a significant boost to women’s cricket in India, UP Warriorz, a Women’s Premier League (WPL) team owned by Capri Sports, has been recognised by UN Women as a 'Generation Equality Ally'

Generation Equality is a movement led by UN Women demanding equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to sexual harassment and all forms of violence against women and girls, health-care services that respond to their needs, and their equal participation in political life and decision-making in all areas of life.

UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, has acknowledged UP Warriorz as a ‘Generation Equality Ally.’  UP Warriorz, an Indian women’s cricket team in WPL representing the state of Uttar Pradesh, will be the first sporting entity to join other Generation Equality Allies, carefully selected by UN Women to champion a gender-equal world.

UN Women’s partnership with the cricket team will be centred around advocating for equality in sports, including addressing stereotypes women athletes confront.

“UP Warriorz is actively addressing the barriers to women’s empowerment through focused interventions in education, learning and development, and menstrual health awareness in Uttar Pradesh and beyond. We are excited to partner with UN Women to amplify the impact of our initiatives and use this platform to champion change,” said Jinisha Sharma, Director of Capri Sports. “We’re focused on leaving a mark on the field, and off it.”

Leading up to International Women’s Day 2024, UP Warriorz, as a Generation Equality Ally, will advocate for closing the various gender gaps in sports through robust messaging via print, online and audio-visual mediums.

“Sports is a powerful tool for women’s empowerment. I am thrilled to welcome UP Warriorz as our first ‘Generation Equality Ally’ in sports. This partnership is a significant step towards challenging gender norms and stereotypes in sports and aligns perfectly with our mission to advocate for a gender-equal world,” said UN Women's Country Representative, Susan Ferguson.

UP Warriorz will leverage the power of sports, specifically cricket, to inspire girls to pursue their dreams and aspirations, challenge gender norms and stereotypes, and become agents of change in their communities. The team was part of UN Women’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign, #AbKoiBahanaNahi, which reached millions of social media users.

UN Women India launched the Generation Equality Allyship programme in 2021 with a group of gender advocates, brands, people of influence and media platforms across sectors to initiate the conversation on building a gender-equal world.