Teenage girls will work with Port Adelaide Football Club in schools for the next two years to foster critical thinking about gender equity and women’s rights.

Delivered alongside the Power to End Violence Against Women (PTEVAW) program, Empowered is a joint initiative between the club, Centacare Catholic Family Services, and the Department for Education.

The program aims to enhance participants positive sense of self and identity, while learning what healthy relationships look like, and how to identify red flags that can lead to abusive behaviours.

Empowered is delivered over two, one-hour sessions over consecutive weeks, at the same time as male students undertake PTEVAW.

The program addresses one of the key recommendations from an external review conducted by Flinders University on PTEVAW.  The recommendation was to deliver an appropriate alternative program to girls linked to achieving outcomes that relate to the reduction of violence against women.

"Empowered is a platform to talk to young women about leadership and self-confidence. Key themes are unpacking structural and social factors that reinforce gender inequality. AFLW is a great example where we can now demonstrate equal opportunities for women on and off field and we are excited to bring this into Empowered,’’ said Jake Battifuoco, General Manager – Power Community Limited.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of our partners in paving the way for this program to extend its reach across the state.’’

Empowered will engage 1625 students in 25 schools this year.