Traditional sports and games have historically been vital spaces for women's cultural expression, physical activity, and community leadership across every region of the world. From the women's-only sand courts of the Maldivian game of Bashi to the ringette traditions of Canada, traditional sports have long served as platforms for female empowerment that predate modern feminist discourse.

The International Council of Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG) has recognized women's empowerment as a core pillar of its mission, aligned with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and the UNESCO framework for traditional sports as intangible cultural heritage.

Key findings in ICTSG's global documentation work have revealed:

WOMEN AS TRADITION-BEARERS: In many cultures, women are the primary custodians of traditional games passed from mother to daughter across generations. These games represent knowledge systems, social networks, and cultural identities that formal education systems rarely capture.

TRADITIONAL SPORTS AS SAFE SPACES: Unlike competitive modern sport environments, traditional games often create community-sanctioned spaces where women can be physically active, competitive, and socially prominent without cultural friction. Games like Bashi (Maldives) were explicitly women's domains in their traditional form.

REVITALIZATION THROUGH WOMEN'S NETWORKS: ICTSG's documentation fieldwork has found that where traditional games are being successfully revitalized, women's community networks are often the driving force - organizing festivals, teaching younger generations, and negotiating with local authorities for support.

At the 4th UNESCO Collective Consultation on Traditional Sports and Games held in Istanbul in 2018, Regional Coordinator Soraia Chung Saura (Brazil) co-presented on women empowerment through traditional sports, highlighting case studies of female leadership in TSG revitalization across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

ICTSG is committed to ensuring that women's roles in traditional sports - both as practitioners and as cultural authorities - are documented, respected, and amplified in all its programs.