ByEM Programme
Women’s Well-being and Employability
Through the ByEM programme, we focus on the personal and professional development of the players of the 3rd RFEF women’s football team: Sport Extremadura CD. In line with the main Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Foundation Xcalibur: SDG 4, Quality Education, we focus on providing the best tools so they can better face their personal and professional challenges, as well as advance in the workplace.
This includes the development of emotional, psychological and professional skills, the promotion of entrepreneurship, and tools for personal and professional competences through face-to-face workshops, coaching sessions, and online trainings.
Additionally, in 2024, we incorporated a new element to the programme, the Learning and Service (LS-L) methodology, an educational methodology that combines learning and community service where the players of the Sports Extremadura Club address real-life needs to improve in their community.
Why support women’s sport?
In August, as women’s sport celebrated Spain’s World Cup triumph, Xcalibur Foundation launched a programme that had been months in the making. This recent success, along with many others, underlines the importance of sport for mental health, just as mental health is vital for sport. For an athlete needs to have a brain as strong as her muscles.
With the growing interest of women in sport, it is our duty to keep our female athletes strong and give them all the support they need. This commitment, together with the need to boost the economic development of the region of Extremadura, Spain, led us to create a programme for the Well-being and Employability of Women (ByEM programme).
"Thanks to our expert collaborators in personal and professional development, coaching, neurolinguistic programming, and positive psychology, among other disciplines, we offer face-to-face and online training workshops, and individual and group coaching sessions."
Why Badajoz?
The mental health situation has also worsened, especially among 18–25–year–olds and 26-40 year olds, who report greater psychological deterioration (Aegon, 2022). The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of mental health, with 30% of Spanish indicating a worsening in their psychological well-being. Women are the most affected by this deterioration.
Badajoz, the most populated province in Extremadura, faces additional challenges such as an ageing population and demographic decline. Despite being an economic and service centre, gender inequality and job insecurity for women are evident, reflected in a higher number of part-time and permanent contracts for women.
Faced with these personal and professional development challenges, at Xcalibur Foundation, we have designed a specific programme for women in Badajoz. The ByEM programme focuses on strengthening mental, physical and emotional well-being, as well as offering continuous training. We seek to empower women to manage their emotions and improve their employability, challenging gender norms and promoting equality in the workplace and in sports.
Much More Than Football
Thanks to our expert collaborators in personal and professional development, coaching, neurolinguistic programming, and positive psychology, among other disciplines, we offer face-to-face and online training workshops, and individual and group coaching sessions. These include topics such as emotional intelligence and management, leadership, motivation, self-esteem, assertive communication, mindfulness and body awareness.
Aligning with the 2030 Goals
At our foundation, we align our activities with several specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to maximise our impact and contribute to a better future. In order not to lose sight of our overall mission, the main SDG that we address in all our programmes is SDG 4: Quality Education. The specific SDGs of ByEM programme are the following:
3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life.
5.B Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women.
8.6 By 2030, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.
Who makes ByEM possible?
Our programme would not be possible without the collaboration of our executive partner Lautestima, and its methodology based on the FORTE method. ‘This programme is a tribute to girls, young women and women who, whether in sport or other fields, stand up for their place and fight for their dreams. I am convinced that these girls will become role models for future generations, and our mission is to support and encourage their emotional and professional growth for an integral development adapted to today’s challenging and volatile society’, Laura Blanco, founder of Lautestima and programme director of XF.
We would also like to emphasise the important work of our 17 experts, whose perspectives and experiences can be found on our social media channels. They play a crucial role in implementing the programme, using their knowledge and dedication to support the participants.
Special thanks to Sport Extremadura CD, the team we work with, who since the beginning of the programme has been committed to social causes and programmes aimed at empowering all parts of society. Their support has been fundamental to carry out our activities and make a positive impact on the community.
The incorporation of the Badajoz Provincial Council’s Equality Department into the programme during 2024 marks a significant milestone. This support will allow us to expand our initiatives, reach more women and children, and strengthen our commitment to gender equality. With the collaboration of the Provincial Council, we will be able to implement new activities and resources that foster the personal and professional development of our participants. This collaboration aims to focus primarily on Service Learning, an educational approach in which the main objective is for students to develop a sense of community duty.
Committed to Change
Through this programme, we launched our line of gender programmes with which we are committed to creating a positive and lasting impact in the community of Extremadura and surrounding areas through all our trainings, Learning and Service, and sports dynamics which aim to improve mental health and well-being, promote gender equality as well as protect and manage conflict to foster the most positive environment where we work. We believe that every person deserves the opportunity to develop their full potential, and we are dedicated to making this vision a reality.
Join us in this mission and be part of the change we want to see in the world! Together, we can build a better future for the next generations.
