ADIDAS
BREAKING BARRIERS

Bringing the adidas brand purpose, “through sport, we have the power to change lives,” to life to help make sport equal for women and girls.

Strategy

Activation

Content & Creative

Impact Programs

Measurement

THE CHALLENGE

The world of sport is unequal. Seeking to confront this unjust reality, adidas took action to level the playing field, starting with tackling gender inequity.

Systemic barriers, from lack of access and representation to cultural stigma and self-doubt, mean that women, girls, and non-binary people are too often left on the sidelines. With girls across Europe routinely dropping out of sports at nearly double the rate of boys, the gender inequities holding young athletes back on the pitch have a negative ripple effect across society.

Breaking down these barriers lays the foundations of a more accessible, equitable, and safer world for all. Committing to solving this global challenge brings the adidas organizational purpose—through sport, we have the power to change lives—to life and contributes to a more sustainable, purposeful brand that consumers and fans are calling for.

OUR SOLUTION

We developed the adidas Breaking Barriers Project, a multi-year initiative committed to breaking down barriers for women, girls, and non-binary people across Europe to ensure that, from the locker room to the boardroom, all belong.

By working together with experts in the field of gender equity and sports and nonprofit sports organizations from across Europe, we have created tools that provide the sports industry with the necessary resources to lead change.

These tools stretch from the integration of the Project into communities through local leaders and coaches—the Breaking Barriers Champions—to adidas brand campaigns for the Women’s World Cup and UEFA EURO 2024, the development of an online gender equity training platform, and a 6-month incubator for tech-based projects supporting greater access to sports for women, girls, and non-binary people.

INITIAL PROJECT GOALS

5

Years of Impact
15

Non-profits
100

Champions
50k

women, girls, and non-binary people

“Through sport, we have the power to change lives, and creating gender equitable spaces for all is vital to ensure these benefits are inclusive of everyone. The 17 Sport team has been integral to bringing our pan-European gender equity project to life."

Clementine Painter,
Director Strategic Planning-Purpose and Sustainability, adidas Europe

THE BREAKING BARRIERS ACADEMY

The adidas Breaking Barriers Academy was an online gender equity training program designed to help everyone, regardless of previous experience, take the first step toward driving true equity in sports.

This robust tool included quizzes, videos, articles, downloadable resources, and more to support Breaking Barriers initiatives and any coach, leader, or administrator looking to support their club in becoming more gender inclusive.

With the Breaking Barriers Academy, users gained access to interactive activities, theoretical frameworks, and exclusive insights from professional athletes and coaches so that they can join adidas in their ambition to make sport equal for all.

We developed seven courses in total, covering topics from menstrual awareness to gender-sensitive communications and creating safer environments for all athletes.

17 sport’s role

Concept development and strategy

01

Course content strategy

02

Digital project execution

03

Distribution strategy and rollout

04

Creation of all 2D and 3D content

05

Breaking Barriers Academy management

06 TEAM PERIOD

With over 5,000 words and phrases used to replace the word ‘period’ across the globe, it’s no secret that most people are more comfortable talking about sweating, nipples, and belly buttons than they are about periods. This discomfort extends to the sports environment, directly impacting the participation of menstruating players and often leading to them dropping out altogether.

25%

of girls globally drop out of sports during adolescence.*

65%

of menstruators report period 'leaking’ as their number one concern when playing sports.*

Comprised of adidas athletes Jazmin Sawyers, Michelle Coleman, and Sarah Zadrazil, Team Period is dedicated to breaking down menstruation-related barriers through the seventh adidas Breaking Barriers Academy course—It’s Time to Talk. Period: Advancing Menstrual Awareness in Sports.

Created in partnership with the Well HQ, this course dives into topics related to menstruation in sports, including:

The benefits of cycle-tracking
Fostering inclusion in physical and emotional sports environments
Navigating sensitive conversations

Additionally, we launched an empowering social campaign on both the athletes’ channels and adidas networks. This campaign highlighted Team Period’s experiences navigating menstruation throughout their careers and aimed to break the stigma around menstruation in the sports world.

We then took the learnings from It’s Time to Talk. Period: Advancing Menstrual Awareness in Sports to the ground with the Menstrual Awareness Workshops. By joining forces with Team GB, Manchester United, and FC Rosengård, we’ve been able to open the dialogue about periods with young athletes and their coaches across Europe.

*1 in 4 girls around the world leave sports during adolescence. Research by scientists at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham (2019)
*65% of menstruators reported ‘leaking’ as the number 1 concern when participating in sport. Research by adidas.

EURO 2024: THE FOOTBALL CUP

We took the Breaking Barriers Project to its biggest stage yet during UEFA EURO 2024, hosting an inclusive tournament at the Home of adidas Football. The FootbALL Cup: Breaking Barriers in Berlin was a celebration of the joy of football with local nonprofit teams supporting women, LGBTQIA+, and ethnic minority communities.

The event brought over 1,500 attendees and 54 players together to break barriers and promote equity in sports for all using Football3 methodology, demonstrating that the rules of the game can be adapted to support intercultural exchange, conflict prevention, and inclusivity.

In addition to watching the tournament—hosted by Amina Ndao with special guests Viktoria Schnaderbeck, Lina Magull, and Eniola Aluko—attendees participated in sports challenges against adidas athletes Maymi Asgari and Thomai Vardali, customized adidas gear with exclusive Breaking Barriers patches, and attended an afterparty with local DJ Natalie Robinson.

THE IMPACT

150

CHAMPIONS
We engaged local leaders to drive gender equity initiatives for local women, girls, and non-binary people.
15

NON-PROFITS
We supported non-profit sports organizations across Europe, increasing their capacity to provide greater access, equity, and safety in their communities.
100K

WOMEN, GIRLS, AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE
We reached women, girls, and non-binary people through the Project’s initiatives and programs.