FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nashville, TN — 24 April 2026
International NGO with 1.5 million graduates will certify Strong Side instructors on the Athlete Power curriculum and anchor provider networks across two continents
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 24, 2026 — The Strong Side, the flagship culture-change initiative of the International Association of ESD Professionals (IAESDP), today announced that No Means No Worldwide (NMNW) has joined its growing global network as the regional ESD Provider Organization for Africa and Latin America.
As part of the partnership, NMNW will certify The Strong Side’s instructors to teach Athlete Power — NMNW’s specialized curriculum designed to equip athletes with the knowledge, language, and skills to apply Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) principles in their personal lives, relationships, and competitive environments. NMNW will also serve as The Strong Side’s on-the-ground provider partner across Africa and Latin America, connecting the sports-sector initiative to NMNW’s existing infrastructure and community networks across both regions.
“We are proud to join The Strong Side to address violence in sport. Through collaboration with leaders in empowerment self-defense and a wide range of leading sports teams and brands, we will ensure that athletes have the skills and information they need to stay safe and excel.”
Kirk Friedrich, Executive Director No Means No Worldwide“We don’t just talk about safer sport. We build the infrastructure for it. Adding No Means No Worldwide to this team means athletes in Africa and Latin America now have access to the most proven violence prevention education curriculum in the world.”
Lissette Brassac Fitzgerald, CEO IAESDP
NMNW joins a network of regional provider organizations and strategic partners that together form The Strong Side Team:
ESD Brazil — Regional Provider, Brazil
ESD Canada — Regional Provider, Canada
ESD Europe — Regional Provider, Europe
Wisdom for Women — Regional Provider, Australia, Oceania, & Asia Pacific
We Are Safer Together — Regional Provider, Western United States
ASSERT Empowerment — Regional Provider, Eastern United States
IMPACT Columbus — Provider, Special Needs Athletes
Chameleon Collective — Official Marketing Agency
Academic Research Partners — Applied Research Partner
“Through Athlete Power, NMNW and its partners will impart skills and information for athletes to prevent abuse against themselves and their teammates, and report abusive behaviors to stop the cycles of violence that are currently pervasive within the sports community.”
Hind Essayegh, Curriculum and Training Manager No Means No Worldwide
About No Means No Worldwide (NMNW)
No Means No Worldwide (NMNW) is an international non-governmental organization whose mission is to end sexual and gender-based violence against women and children globally. NMNW trains instructors in high-risk environments to deliver the proven No Means No curricula to girls and boys ages 10–20. Through the program, girls increase their skills in assertiveness, boundary setting, and understanding of their rights, and develop the verbal and physical skills to defend themselves from sexual assault. Boys increase gender-equitable attitudes, learn skills to defend equality, avoid violence, ask for consent, and intervene when witnessing or anticipating sexual assault. NMNW also works to increase girls’ and boys’ disclosure of experiences of sexual violence and provide referrals for comprehensive support. NMNW has more than 1.5 million graduates — 1.2 million girls and 346,000 boys — from partnerships in 14 countries across Africa and Mexico, and is endorsed by world health leaders.
About The Strong Side (TSS)
The Strong Side is the flagship culture-change engine of the International Association of ESD Professionals (IAESDP). TSS equips sports organizations with practical training, prevention systems, and community activation to reduce harm, protect brand trust, and strengthen loyalty — from the locker room to the pitch, to the stadium, to the community.
About IAESDP
The International Association of ESD Professionals (IAESDP) advances safety, violence prevention, and empowerment-based education through professional standards, training frameworks, and implementation support across sectors.
Press Contacts:
The Strong Side / IAESDP Lauren Lopp, Director of Communications
lauren@thestrongside.team | www.thestrongside.team
No Means No Worldwide Molly McHugh, Director of Communications
mmchugh@nmnw.org | www.nomeansnoworldwide.org