| Guardian Girls International | |
| Abbreviation: | GGI |
| Founder: | Shin Koyamada Nia Lyte |
| Type: | International NGO |
| Vat Id: | (for European organizations) --> |
| Location: | 15 countries |
| Area Served: | Global |
| Services: | Women's self-defense Capacity building Community service |
| Fields: | Gender-based violence Violence against women |
| Language: | English |
| Leader Title: | Co-Founder & CEO |
| Leader Name: | Shin Koyamada |
| Leader Title2: | Co-Founder & President |
| Leader Name2: | Nia Lyte |
| Affiliations: | Koyamada International Foundation |
Guardian Girls International (also referred to as Guardian Girls or GGI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on gender-based violence, with its headquarters in the United States. The mission is to build the self-agency of women and girls for prevention and response to all forms of gender-based violence through sports and holistic martial arts training. It operates in 15 countries.
It has global partnerships with UN agencies and international sports federations such as United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Karate Federation (WKF), International Aikido Federation (IAF) and others.[1] [2] [3]
The GGI was initially born out of the pledge Koyamada has made during the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which was convened by the UNFPA and governments of Kenya and Denmark in Nairobi, Kenya in 2019.[4]
The organization was established with the primary objective of overseeing its Guardian Girls program and coordinating specialized sports projects on a global scale. These projects are initiated through collaborations between GGI and international sports federations responsible for governing specific sports worldwide.
All activities are coordinated by GGI at a global level and by KIF's National Chapters, where applicable, at a national level, adhering to its international program guidelines worldwide. Project implementation is overseen either by GGI or a KIF Chapter, working in collaboration with the national sports governing body of the relevant international sports federations.
Guardian Girls Karate (GGK) was inaugurated by GGI in collaboration with the World Karate Federation (WKF) in Los Angeles in 2022. In 2023, the initiative expanded globally, marked by a reception at the Japanese Ambassador's residence, a women's self-defense seminar, and a demonstration held at WKF's international tournaments across seven diverse countries including Egypt, Morocco, Spain, Japan, the United States, Ireland, and Hungary.
Guardian Girls Aikido (GGA) was introduced by Koyamada International Foundation Colombia (KIF Colombia) in collaboration with the International Aikido Federation (IAF) and the Colombia Aikido Federation (FCA).[5] The launch took place at the Japanese Ambassador's residence in Bogotá, Colombia, in February 2024. The event, hosted by KIF Colombia, the Embassy of Japan to Colombia, and UNFPA Colombia, showcased the project's commitment to empowering women. Additionally, the GGA Seminar, organized by KIF Colombia and FCA, was held at the Japan Center at the University of the Andes (Colombia) in Bogotá, further promoting the values of self-defense and empowerment among women.