Women’s boxing is taking the world by storm. It’s not just a competitive sport anymore; women are finding it to be a great way to improve their physical and mental health. In Medellin, Colombia, a foundation called Mi Barrio Mi Sueño is using boxing to transform the lives of young girls and women living in a tough neighborhood called La Honda.
La Honda is rife with domestic violence and poverty. Many young girls here face sexual abuse and difficult circumstances. Andrea González Duarte founded Mi Barrio Mi Sueño in 2020 to help girls and women in this neighborhood of wooden structures perched on a hill that is remote from the thriving metropolis below. Andrea was born in Bogotá, Colombia, but she was put up for adoption by her biological mother, who had to escape from an abusive relationship that led her to live on the streets with four children.
In the Netherlands, González Duarte worked at a center for women engaged in prostitution. She returned to Colombia and Mi Barrio Mi Sueno offers boxing lessons to young girls and women, as well as nutrition, health and business development services.
The foundation offers boxing lessons to girls and women as young as seven and as old as eighty-seven. But boxing is more than just punches and jabs for these women. It’s a way for them to deal with their emotions, learn about their rights, and build their self-confidence.
In La Honda, domestic abuse is reported to be common by the participants of Mi Barrio Mi Sueño in part due to the poverty that keeps many women trapped in unhealthy relationships or pushes them into sex work, without other options.
Boxing has become a lifeline for women in La Honda, but what keeps them going may also inspire you to take up the sport!
Sory (last name withheld)is a 27-year-old Venezuelan refugee mother living in La Honda. Her life was marked by tragedy when her eldest brother was caught in the middle of a shootout between two gangs and murdered. After the economic situation in Venezuela worsened, Sory and her husband decided to leave for Colombia.
Adjusting to a new culture and relocating was incredibly difficult; Sory even had many issues registering her children with the Colombian school system since they lacked official documents. But she eventually found Mi Barrio Mi Sueño, where children could get classes twice a week, and the women’s empowerment project for boxing.
“These classes, they’re not just about boxing. They’ve been a lifeline, allowing me and others to navigate our toughest emotions, to find solidarity among women who’ve faced similar battles, and to break through barriers I never thought possible. And the triumph of doing 30 squats? That felt monumental. I’ve truly fallen in love with boxing; it’s my escape, my moment of release, where I can leave everything behind and just be,” said Sory.
“Success lies in using boxing as a powerful tool to release trauma and negative energy from the body. The combination of boxing and socio-emotional training allows women to understand that who you are isn’t determined by what happened; it’s defined by your response,” said González Duarte.
Mi Barrio Mi Sueno works to empower girls and women living in poverty and facing circumstances like sexual violence and drug abuse. “The most reported rape cases in La Honda involve girls aged between six and 11,” said González Duarte (statistic from SISC Alcadia de Medellin, 2021).
The foundation gives separate classes to talk about protection from STIs, pregency and sexual violence, as well as to debunk myths about sex.
“There’s a lot of misinformation. For example, some women thought that if you drank a liter of Coca-Cola standing up after sex, they wouldn’t get pregnant,” said González Duarte.
Veronica Vidales, one of the boxing teachers in the program, and also social leaders of the neighborhood, thinks that boxing makes girls and women more resilient against gender violence and sexual abuse.
“Having a space in the community dedicated to boxing and other forms of education allows them to focus on increasing participant self-confidence and self-worth,” said Vidales. “It helps women make informed life choices and teach their children about different topics at a young age for a better future.”
This was also true for two-time World Champion boxer Maureen Shea, who had been in an abusive relationship and turned to boxing.
“I originally went to the gym because I thought if I looked better my abuser would treat me better—all due to low self-esteem,” said Shea.
Then, she found the boxing ring.
“Boxing made me more self-aware and gave me the tools to work through emotion in a constructive way,” said Shea.
She was able to connect with her mind and body, giving her the insight needed to heal and work on becoming stronger as a whole being.”
The project builds a sense of community among women in the neighborhood, which is vital since many find themselves isolated at home or in challenging relationships without a social support system.
The boxing lessons also led six women in the community to become entrepreneurs. These single mothers received lessons in jewelry making and entrepreneurship. They now create beautiful handmade bracelets and earrings with Miyuki beads. Most of the proceeds go towards financially empowering the mothers and their families, freeing them from financial dependency.
For example, Luznay (last name withheld) became a single mother at a very young age and always felt she was at a disadvantage. She started in the boxing program, which gave her more confidence in her body and made her feel more energized. She now leads the jewelry project and teaches other women, too.
“I work with an international foundation, which I could never have dreamed of doing. I now teach other women how to make jewelry and have confidence in myself and my future,” said Luznay.
Boxing as a tool for personal and professional growth
The story of Mi Barrio Mi Sueño shows how boxing can be a powerful tool for personal and social transformation. It can help women to overcome adversity, build confidence, and create a better future for themselves and their families. And it’s a model that can be replicated in communities around the world.
The principles learned through boxing—discipline, focus, and resilience—are directly transferable to the professional arena. The sport teaches to embrace strengths, navigate challenges with confidence, and assert themselves in competitive, often male-dominated workspaces. The sense of empowerment and self-worth gained through boxing equips them to pursue leadership roles and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations, mirroring the community impact seen in La Honda.
Just as boxing provided a community for women in La Honda to share their experiences and grow together, corporate women can benefit from fostering networks that champion mutual support, diversity, and inclusion. This collective empowerment not only enhances individual careers but also contributes to creating a more progressive and equitable corporate culture.
The balance boxing teaches—between physical exertion and mental well-being—is a crucial lesson for women juggling the demands of work and personal life. The discipline encourages a holistic approach to self-care, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries, managing stress, and prioritizing health. This balanced approach leads to improved performance at work, greater job satisfaction, and sustained career fulfillment, echoing the positive life changes experienced by participants of Mi Barrio Mi Sueño.
by Ginger Gentile
Courtesy: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gingergentile/2024/03/25/punching-for-a-better-life-boxing-empowers-women-in-colombia/?sh=1cb4f5aa7658