BASKETBALL ADMINISTRATOR CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALBANIAN WOMEN

Denisa Bishqemi has worked with the Albanian Basketball Federation for the past 10 years and currently serves as communications and projects director. In her role, she has seen the positive impact of sport-based programming on the empowerment of women and girls, including the International Basketball Federation’s “Her World, Her Rules” initiative that seeks to attract primary and secondary school-aged girls into basketball throughout Europe.

Denisa sees the impact of these types of programs and knows of their importance, especially given that “End Violence Against Women” reports 59% of women in Albania have experienced some form of domestic violence. Using basketball as her platform, she seeks to develop new opportunities for women and girls to challenge traditional gender roles, to create more inclusive communities throughout Albania, and increase the scale and impact of her programs.

For GSMP: Empowering Women through Sports 2019, Denisa will be mentored by Jennifer Ridgeway, Vice President of Social Responsibility at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, and her team in Minneapolis, Minnesota.