JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 25, 2021/ — NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) today announced that they are supporting the Center for Women’s Global Leadership’s “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign” (16dayscampaign.org) the most widely-recognized and longest-running campaign for women’s rights in the world with the goal of eliminating of all forms of gender-based violence against women.
NBA Africa and the BAL’s participation in the campaign builds on the initiatives they collectively launched earlier this year (https://on.nba.com/3xmoUPz) to advance gender equality and economic inclusion in Africa.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign takes place every year from International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (Nov. 25) to International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10). To support the campaign, NBA Africa and the BAL will jointly donate $5,000 to each of three NGOs on the continent that provide essential services to victims of gender-based violence: Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) (warifng.org) in Nigeria, Unies vers’elle (www.Uniesverselle.org) in Senegal and People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA) (https://bit.ly/3xkuAJY) in South Africa.
NBA Africa and the BAL will also use their social media platforms to highlight the work of the NGOs in their respective countries, encourage men to take a leading role in driving positive social change in their communities, inspire basketball fans on the continent to stand against any form of discrimination against women, and advocate for a more just and inclusive society. Following the campaign, NBA Africa, the BAL and community partner CARE (www.CARE.org) – an NGO that reaches more than 90 million people across more than 100 countries through poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid programs – will hold educational workshops focused on gender equality for BAL players, select participants in NBA Africa’s elite development programs, and Jr. NBA coaches.
“The 16 Days of Activism campaign is a powerful reminder that we have a long way to go in elevating women to an equal place in all aspects of society, not just in Africa but around the world,” said NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams. “We believe NBA Africa and the BAL, in particular through our connection to male players and fans, can play an important role in promoting gender equality and building a safer and more inclusive environment for women in Africa.”
“The BAL is proud to support the 16 Days of Activism campaign and organizations in Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa that are combating gender-based violence year-round,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “We are committed to supporting women in the communities where we operate and to providing more opportunities for women to grow as individuals, athletes and leaders.”
The NBA has a decades-long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg in 2010. Since then, the league’s efforts in Africa have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through grassroots and elite development, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, the launch of the BAL, and more.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
About the NBA:
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) also jointly operate the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.
NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
About the BAL:
The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA, is a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa. The BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA has organized in Africa and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America. Fans can follow the BAL (@theBAL) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and register their interest in receiving more information at www.theBAL.com.
