Sports University of Tirana (UST)
GEIN Final Conference: “Equal Play, Equal Say”
The GEIN Final Conference in Tirana marked a milestone moment, bringing together partners, students, mentors, and leaders to advance
gender equality, leadership, empowerment, and inclusion in sport.
Full recorded sessions, daily highlights, and the photo gallery will be available at
gein.org.al/live.
Day 1 — Conference Opening & Core Themes (October 15)
Day 1 delivered an inspiring start to “Equal Play, Equal Say”, featuring strong discussions on
gender equality, empowerment, and inclusion in sport, with voices from across the GEIN partnership
and the Albanian sports community.
Day 2 — Leadership, Mentoring & New Network Launch (October 16)
The second day continued with sessions dedicated to gender equality, leadership, and empowerment in sport. The morning began with registration and coffee,
followed by a panel discussion moderated by Zachary Ergish.
Official launch of the GEIN Mentoring Network — supporting women’s leadership in sport across Europe.
Panel Speakers
- Rachele Menga — UN Women Albania
- Edith Zuschmann — CEO & President, 261 Fearless Inc.
- Dorarta Koka — Motivational Speaker
- Marinela Bici — Elite volleyball player & student, UST
- Prof. Asoc. Dr. Rigerta Selenica — Mentor & academic
Mentoring Network Contributions
- Tarja Krum — Mentor (Finland)
- Heli Kesämäa, Dr. Sc. — Principal Lecturer, Xamk
- Contributions from EWS and ENGSO
The afternoon focused on mentoring processes and collaboration, with contributions from:
Premtim Fazliu (Paralympic Committee of Kosovo), Laura Derveni (UST),
Kejda Ushtelenca (NOC Albania), Maxime Sterckx and Martijn Lambrecht (UCLL Belgium).
Hackathon Pitch Talks & Awards Ceremony
The conference concluded with a dynamic closing event bringing together students, mentors, and stakeholders—where creativity and collaboration took center stage,
showcasing innovative ideas for advancing gender equality in sport.
A Closing Moment — and a New Beginning
Conference message
“Equal Play, Equal Say is not only a slogan — it is a promise that every girl’s and woman’s voice will be heard.”
The event reinforced a shared commitment to continue cooperation, share practical tools, and expand opportunities that help girls and women thrive in sport—
from grassroots participation to leadership roles.
GEIN Partnership
GEIN is a collaboration between Juvenia – Youth Research and Development Centre (Finland),
the Paralympic Committee of Kosovo, UCLL University of Applied Sciences (Belgium),
National Olympic Committee Albania, and the Sports University of Tirana, implemented within the framework of
Erasmus+ and co-funded by the European Union.
Access Recordings & Updates
Revisit the sessions and follow the next steps of the Mentoring Network and GEIN outcomes.