Deadline: 31 May 2026
https://www.sportanddev.org/latest/news/new-study-calls-sportspersons-wo...
What is the purpose of the study?
This practitioner-led inquiry aims to explore:
- Common themes faced by dual career athletes in the humanitarian/development sector
- Explore where there are existing policies and frameworks in the humanitarian/development sector that accommodate for and supports competitive sportsperson-employees
- Initiate and join the larger discourse towards the adoption of the EU Guideline on Dual Careers of Athletes
Ultimately, the scope of this inquiry is to sensitise humanitarian and development organisations to create a conducive environment for dual career athletes, and to share the outcomes with other organisations working towards advocating the inclusion of frameworks that support dual career athletes in the labour market.
Who can participate?
Z2 is seeking participants who meet the following criteria:
- Be aged 18+
- Be employed in a humanitarian and/or development organisation (includes International Non-Governmental Organizations, United Nations system, Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement)
- Be a competitive sportsperson (defined as having participated in at least one competitive sport event in the last 12 months)
Participants will be invited to conduct an online one-hour key informant interview to be conducted in English.
Who is conducting this case study?
The study will be conducted by Ms. Yasmine Refaat, a professional with 17 years of experience in programme management, specifically monitoring and evaluation with the United Nations and other international organizations. Ms. Refaat implemented and evaluated projects on youth empowerment and crime prevention across humanitarian and development contexts. She holds an MSc degree in Health Psychology from Leiden University and a BA in Psychology from the American University in Cairo and currently pursuing an MSc degree in Sport Science at Niccolò Cusano University. In addition to her professional achievements, she is a dedicated full-time cycling athlete and sports coach, working with cycling teams in Italy. She recently founded Z2, a social business supporting sport for development based in Northern Italy.
What methodology will be adopted?
The practitioner-led informal inquiry will focus on collecting and documenting narrative case studies to examine the experiences of dual career sportspersons-employees in the development and humanitarian sectors. The outcomes of the study will be featured in an article published by The International Platform for Sport and Development.
- Deadline: 31 May 2026
