Free to Run: Outdoor Sport as a Path to Freedom for Women in Conflict Zones

Founded in 2014 by ultrarunner and human rights lawyer Stephanie Case, Free to Run creates safe outdoor spaces where adolescent girls and young women in conflict-affected regions can run, hike, climb and lead. Teams meet several times a week for sport paired with leadership and life-skills training, and Free to Run helped produce Afghanistan's first female marathon finisher in 2015. After the Taliban takeover forced it to halt public programming in Afghanistan in 2021, the organization now runs an underground program called Omid alongside larger programs in Iraq and Palestine. Independent participant surveys from these programs found large majorities reporting reduced anxiety and depression, stronger social support and greater confidence in their own rights.