ICC and UNICEF Extend Partnership to Empower Girls and Women Through Cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and UNICEF have announced the extension of their partnership until 2027 with a focus on empowering girls and women through cricket. This collaboration, which has been successful over the past eight years, aims to leverage the popularity of cricket as the second most played and watched sport globally to accelerate gender equality.

During the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNICEF introduced CRIIIO 4 GOOD on the Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing platform, advocating for equal opportunities for both girls and boys. This initiative has reached over 1.5 million schools across India, leaving a legacy of gender equality that is now being scaled up nationwide.

Over the next four years, the partnership will focus on promoting girls’ participation in cricket and fostering leadership and cooperation skills, particularly during ICC’s major cricket events in countries like the West Indies, the United States, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.

Geoff Allardice, the Chief Executive Officer at ICC, expressed delight in continuing the collaboration with UNICEF to drive positive change through cricket’s global events. The upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India present significant opportunities to further advocate for equality in sports.

UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell, praised ICC’s commitment to developing women’s cricket tournaments, citing the potential for more female sports role models to contribute to the global gender equality agenda. The renewed partnership aims to empower girls and women worldwide, building on the positive impact already achieved.

The announcement of the partnership comes ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 set to kick off in the USA and the West Indies on June 1 in Texas. As part of the event, all 20 teams will conduct ICC Cricket 4 Good clinics, providing local children with the opportunity to learn the game and interact with their cricketing heroes at the tournament venues.

For media inquiries, contact Lukas Clark-Memler, the Communication Specialist at UNICEF. The ICC serves as the governing body for cricket, overseeing major international tournaments like the ICC World Test Championship, Men’s and Women’s Cricket World Cups, and T20 World Cups among others. UNICEF operates in over 190 countries, working to reach and support the most disadvantaged children globally.