Committee member Isaiah Kioiloglou on her plans with the IOC Young Leaders programme

Please describe your project.

My idea is quite simple but extremely vital for the Greek Women with Disabilities. My social business called “Femmability” aims to promote social inclusion and gender equality through the sport of goalball and non-formal education. As this social group faces double discrimination, I knew I had to take action. The model I developed aims to provide these women with sport and employment opportunities and is based on two pillars: In the first phase of implementation, there will be a Training-of-Trainers phase, where women with disabilities will be trained by me on how to improve our soft skills through goalball. In the second phase of implementation, we will develop all together a team-building workshop targeted for companies and adapted to the needs of these employees, regardless of gender or disability, which will aim to strengthen communication, teamwork, cooperation, trust and team bonds: soft skills essential for every employee in a corporate environment. Naturally, the programme will help me refine it more and implement my idea the best way possible; through mentoring and expert sessions, the programme supports us all throughout these four years. 

What are you hoping to achieve or change with it?

In a remarkable study, the Greek Center for Gender Rights and Equality, found that women with disabilities make up 25.7% of the Greek population, according to a European survey conducted in 2018 (Diotima, Center for Gender Rights & Equality). How often does a Greek spot a woman with any disability on the streets of Athens? The answer is self-explanatory. Diotima states that “despite the fact that this is ¼ of the population, with all variations of disability, there is a lack of research, actions and policies. This results in them being marginalised on many levels”. I plan on giving back to these women the sport and employability opportunities they deserve; all through sport, hoping to also make them feel that they belong and that they can grow in this community. 

How did activities with ENGSO Youth, being a young delegate, contribute to your “career path” or project idea development?

Being a Young Delegate has shown me the importance of growing my professional network, getting to know how I can support the development and promotion of sport policies in Europe and disseminate sport for development in my country. If it weren’t for this program, I wouldn’t have the chance to become an IOC Young Leader. I’m eternally grateful for all the experiences that I have had and that is the reason why I want to help the organization be established even more, be it in Europe or my country.