The Girls Only Project was born out of an identified need to create a more equal sporting landscape for women within South Africa and across the African continent. As outlined within the 2012 National Sport and Recreation Plan, the inclusion, empowerment and promotion of women is a critical focus and as such, the Girls Only Project aligns to national governments special emphasis on priority groups.
Although the NSRP notes that women are marginalized within the sporting world, there are few plans or policies that directly address how to go about changing the status quo.
Furthermore, there is no dedicated research organization that seeks to understand the issues facing women in sport within the South African and African Context. The Girls Only Project seeks to fill this gap.