Weiss, Dr. AnitaGerken, Kimberly2021-11-232021-11-232021-11-23https://hdl.handle.net/1794/26879Sports for Development and Peace (SDP) refers to the intentional use of sports in the pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This thesis primarily centers on three SDP Goals: #3, Good Health and Well-Being; #5, Gender Equality; and #16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Through a series of semi-structured interviews with SDP organizations located in various parts of the world, I have identified common barriers and challenges to including female refugees into sports programs and propose strategies to overcoming these barriers. This thesis situates sports in the context of International Development and details the significance of women in sport through the lens of gender equality and empowerment. It suggests that empowerment surrounds ideas of opportunity and agency, discusses the critical distinction between gender equality versus equity in sports, and highlights that a critical component of sports programming with refugee populations is dignity.en-USAll Rights Reserved.DevelopmentGenderRefugeesSportsElectronic Thesis or Dissertation