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Our Mission
That's why we:
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Support community-operated karate dojos and community-led women's self-defence groups
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Create scholarship communities where girls can support each other to complete their education
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Work to create long-term, trusting connections with local community leaders
Our Vision
We envision a future where empowered girls lead the way in their communities, inspiring others through their strength and determination.
By fostering a supportive environment, we help create a generation of leaders who can drive meaningful change and advocate for equality.
We think every girl deserves a chance to reach her full potential. And we believe that education and martial arts can give her the tools to do just that.
With every girl that grows stronger, so does her community.
Why Martial Arts
Where tradition meets strength
Martial arts is about more than physical exercise or fighting skills: it’s a set of values and a way of life that teaches confidence, discipline, respect and perseverance. These are life skills that can jump-start our girls towards empowerment, despite their difficult start in life.
But it’s not enough: for sustainable empowerment, girls need support from their communities. Martial Arts is a world-wide network of practitioners who share our values.
So FairFight works with local martial artists and their dojos, in partnership with local organisations and schools in Zimbabwe, Zambia and between 2016 and 2025, also in India.
One black belt to another, we speak the same language, even when we don't understand each others’ words, so we trust our partner Senseis to impart the same values of respect, self-discipline and courage to our girls as they grow.
Advisory Board
Chair
Mark is a fifth dan black belt in shorin ryu Karate, is formerly head sensei of the University of Kent Karate Club and has been advising FairFight since 2016. In his professional life, he is a business management consultant based in the UK.
Advisor
Lijnie is an aikido grand master, and has been advising FairFight since 2017. In her professional life, she runs an orthopedagogical practice in Dordrecht, the Netherlands.
Advisor
Phyllis is a Senior Lecturer in international law, politics and gender issues at Erasmus University in the Netherlands, and has been advising FairFight since 2019.
Executive Board
Chair
Ginie co-founded FairFight with Alex Whitcomb in 2015. She is a second dan black belt in shitoryu karate. In her professional life, she is a research psychologist and educator at Erasmus University in the Netherlands.
Secretary
Lis is a British second dan black belt in shitoryu karate and has been volunteering with FairFight since 2019. In her professional life she is a linguistics scholar in Belgium.
Treasurer
Sushma Sing
Sushma is a first dan black belt in shotokan karate, and has been volunteering with FairFight since 2017. In her professional life she is a security and operational safety professional in the Netherlands.
How FairFight operates
FairFight is run by a three-person executive board that overlooks strategic decision making and finances, while the operational tasks are carried out by teams of volunteers.
Each team is led by an experienced coordinator who reports to the board and is the primary contact point for partners. An advisory board made up of three senior representatives with knowledge of martial arts, business and charity provides advice to the executive board.
We have a core of dedicated volunteers based in the Netherlands, Norway and the UK, who give their time and talents within the five operational teams that we run.
While many of them are highly graded martial artists, we also have volunteers with experience in NGO management, post colonial and feminist scholarship, and safety & security backgrounds.