OUR IMPACT
Free to Run uses rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning to understand the true impact of our work. We seek to learn about the efficacy of our programs towards our objectives in addition to learning about the unforeseen impacts of them on girls, young women and their communities.
2022 PARTICIPANTS
10-24
Ages
100%
Identify as girls or young women
75%
Are in school
89%
Live in Iraq
11%
Live in Afghanistan
FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION IN A FREE TO RUN PROGRAM:
84% of participants report yes, they are equal to boys, but not treated equally
98% of participants say they want to get to know people from different cultures
84% of participants report being capable of making decisions frequently or sometimes
90% of participants are extremely or somewhat interested in women’s rights
18% more participants say that they are a trusted confidant to someone frequently or sometimes at the end of a program, compared to the start of a program
“Now I have a place to learn something new, discover my abilities, and develop them. As a girl, in [a] society that refuses to give us the simplest rights, I feel overwhelmed being able to run and do outdoor sports. This is how we can show our society and communities that girls can achieve big things and even change society, not just doing housekeeping.”
IMPACT FRAMEWORK: OUR OBJECTIVES
These are the objectives, derived from our Power Building Theory of Change, that we measure progress against with our programs.
ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN
A1 Increase leadership and life skills among adolescent girls and young women
A2 Improve social and emotional wellbeing among adolescent girls and young women (with a focus on resilience)
A3 Improve physical and reproductive health among adolescent girls and young women
A4 Advance adolescent girls' and young women's knowledge of and access to their rights
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
C1 Expand acceptance of girls' and women's sport participation
C2 Increase community acceptance of adolescent girls and young women's leadership
C3 Improve intercultural understanding amongst diverse community groups
“As an athlete, it has been so difficult to always be at home for 1.5 years. That’s why this has been important for us. When we do exercises, we are more intelligent and perceptive. When we don’t do sports, we are not complete.”
ANNUAL REPORT
Free to Run operates in some of the most challenging regions in the world, where decades of conflict and instability have resulted in extreme social isolation for women and girls as well as harassment, constrained mobility, and unequal access to education. We report annually on our programs, investments, and impact in our annual report.