Ladies First tells the story of Deepika Kumari who, born on the roadside to abject poverty in rural India, went in search of food, stumbled upon archery, and within 4 years became the number one archer in the world!

We document Deepika’s tumultuous path to the Rio 2016 Olympics. Having to overcome the obstacles of a socially repressive system, she strives to achieve her dream of becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal.

Our aim is to create new role models

With the belief that human connection and the power of storytelling is the necessary catalyst for social change, our goal is to connect audiences to an inspirational role model – a girl who is an unstoppable force, a survivor and a fighter. We hope Deepika’s story and her tenacity help dismantle the barriers holding girls back and give them the courage to fight and follow their dreams.

#LadiesFirst is a campaign that aims to inspire girls to overcome the many social, cultural and physical obstacles preventing them from participating in sports. Even if girls don’t become professional athletes, research shows that the power of play has the ability to transform a girls life, making it crucial for us to inject role models, like Deepika, to make a long lasting impact in rural India. Having relatable influencers and heroes creates a 100x ripple effect within a girls community, because it changes the entire families mindset, “If Deepika can do it, so can we!»

In India, we have squandered the unrealised talents of millions of young girls. We hope Deepika’s story along with her grit and determination, can help shatter India’s tragedy of small expectations for girls and put LADIES FIRST.

Magic Bus is an organisation that takes children on an incredible journey from childhood to livelihood, and in doing so uses sport to inculcate physical confidence into girls. Many Indian girls who live in challenging circumstances are not allowed to leave their homes and certainly not play, which greatly affects their confidence and ability to make decisions. Magic Bus will show Ladies First to the half a million children they support.

Sport can be used to challenge entrenched gender norms, reduce the vulnerability of girls and provide them with opportunities and skills.

Sport helps girls on a variety of social issues, including health, education and gender equality, particularly when social interaction outside the home is constrained. It provides girls with safe spaces in which to assemble, enjoy freedom of expression, build skills in communication, confidence, leadership and negotiation.

Studies show that girls participating in sport are more likely to continue their education, not enter into violent relationships, suffer depression or become unwillingly pregnant. Given that sport is traditionally a male domain, girls’ participation in itself challenges gender stereotypes, breaking deep-rooted attitudes.

“Less than 1% of girls
in India play organized sports”
– KPMG

help create change
organize a screening

“Less than 1% of girls
in India play organized sports”
– KPMG

help create change
organize a screening

“Less than 1% of girls
in India play organized sports”
– KPMG

help create change
organize a screening

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