Guardian Girls International


Guardian Girls International is an international non-governmental organization focused on advancing gender equality and violence against women and gender-based violence, with its headquarters in the United States. The mission is to advance gender equality and end violence against women and girls through sports, advocacy, education, and community engagement. It operates in 24 countries. It partners and collaborates with UN agencies, international sports federations, governments, international NGOs and others.
WWW guardiangirls.org

History

In November 2019, the Guardian Girls program was first conceived as a commitment made by Shin Koyamada, Chairman of the Koyamada International Foundation, during the International Conference on Population and Development in Nairobi, Kenya—an event convened by United Nations Population Fund together with the Governments of Kenya and Denmark. Initially launched as a program of KIF, it subsequently entered a development and planning phase focused primarily on Africa.
In December 2019, KIF signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding with the UNFPA, making UNFPA the first United Nations agency to join the Guardian Girls program as a Strategic Partner, with early efforts centered on African countries. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, on-the-ground implementation was temporarily paused, though strategic development and international coordination continued during this period.

Global Expansion

In May 2022, KIF signed a landmark MoU with the World Karate Federation —the first international sports federation to partner on the Guardian Girls program—providing access to WKF's global resources and network. In October 2022, KIF, WKF, and UNFPA formalized a one-year trilateral MoU to launch the Guardian Girls Karate project at a ceremony hosted at the Official Residence of the Japanese Consul General in Los Angeles. As part of this launch, the partners held the first GGK Seminar, offering self-defense training and UNFPA-led educational sessions for women from the Greater Downtown Los Angeles area.
In 2023, the GGK project expanded globally, with WKF, KIF, and UNFPA launching activities in seven countries: Spain, Ireland, Hungary, Egypt, Morocco, Japan, and the United States. After the conclusion of the trilateral agreement, KIF resumed its bilateral MoUs separately with UNFPA and WKF to continue advancing the program.
In February 2024, KIF Colombia, the national chapter of KIF, together with UNFPA Colombia and the Embassy of Japan in Colombia—and in collaboration with the Colombian Aikido Federation and the International Aikido Federation —launched the Guardian Girls Aikido program in Bogotá. In May 2024, KIF Peru, UNFPA Peru, and the Embassy of Japan in Peru, in partnership with the Peruvian Aikido Confederation and IAF, launched GGA at the Official Residence of the Japanese Ambassador. Guardian Girls Judo 's pilot project, was also implemented at the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, UAE for its women students in collaborations with the International Judo Federation.

GGI's Establishment

In late 2024, GGI was established as an independent international non-governmental organization under the umbrella of KIF to expand and manage its operations and projects worldwide. All Guardian Girls program rights and operations were subsequently transferred from KIF to GGI, which assumed responsibility for managing all program components, including GGK. That same year, GGI signed an MoU with the United Nations University —its second UN partner—to develop and implement an international women's conference series under the new Women in Peace initiative.
In January 2025, Shin Koyamada and his wife Nia Lyte were granted a private audience with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. During the meeting, they discussed potential collaboration on a new global project, later named the Holy Women Initiative —a title chosen personally by Pope Francis. In September 2025, GGI signed an MoU with the World Vovinam Federation at the federation's global headquarters in Hanoi, Vietnam, marking its first major partnership with an ASEAN-based international sports federation and the formal introduction of GGI projects in the region. In November 2025, GGI signed another historic MoU with the Ju-Jitsu International Federation to launch the Guardian Girls Ju-Jitsu project during the opening ceremony of the Ju-Jitsu World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, further expanding the program into the global Ju-Jitsu community.

Organization

The organization was established with the primary function of overseeing and coordinating its Guardian Girls projects with its global and regional partners and its Guardian Girls regional and national committees.

Regional organizations

The continental organizations’ primary objective is to promote GGI's mission and activities at the continental level and to coordinate the work of regional and national committees. Each continental body is headed by a President and a Secretary-General.Guardian Girls Asia-Pacific - Oversees the implementation and coordination of GGI projects across East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania and works with national committees throughout the region.Guardian Girls Europe - Facilitates GGI initiatives across Europe and supports regional and national committees in advancing GGI's programs.Guardian Girls Africa - Leads GGI's activities across the West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa and works with national partners to implement and expand GGI projects.Guardian Girls Pan-America - Coordinates GGI programs across North America and Latin America and strengthens collaboration among national committees in the region.Guardian Girls Arab States - Manages GGI efforts across Central Asia, Persian Gulf and North Africa and supports national committees in expanding GGI's mission in the region.

Guardian Girls National Committee

Guardian Girls National Committee is the national coordinating body established within a KIF national chapter or as an independent entity. GGNC is responsible for coordinating, promoting, and managing Guardian Girls projects implemented in each country in collaboration with national sports federations of partner international federations, United Nations agencies, national and local governments, local NGOs, and foreign missions. Each GGNC is headed by its President and governed by a board, with the Secretary-General serving as the head of administration.

Projects

Sports

  • Guardian Girls Karate - GGK is a global project originally developed by the KIF and later transferred to GGI. Launched in partnership with the World Karate Federation and UNFPA in October 2022 in Los Angeles, the program has been licensed to WKF since 2024 and is administered exclusively by the WKF and implemented locally through WKF's national federation members in more than 200 countries and territories, in collaboration with GGI and KIF's national chapters worldwide.
  • Guardian Girls Aikido - GGA is a global project launched by GGI. The project was first introduced in February 2024 in Bogotá, Colombia, by KIF Colombia and its Guardian Girls Colombia committee, in partnership with UNFPA Colombia and the Embassy of Japan in Colombia, and in collaboration with the International Aikido Federation and the Colombian Aikido Federation. The project was further expanded in May 2024 in Lima, Peru, through a partnership involving UNFPA Peru and the Embassy of Japan in Peru, where it was introduced as part of an official APEC project.
  • Guardian Girls Vovinam - GGV is a global project launched by GGI in partnership with the World Vovinam Federation. The project was introduced in September 2025 at the Official Residence of the Japanese Ambassador in Hanoi, Viet Nam, marking GGI's first launch in an ASEAN member state and its first partnership with an ASEAN-based international sports federation. The initial GGV Seminar was implemented in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Viet Nam and UNFPA Viet Nam.
  • Guardian Girls Ju-Jitsu - GGJJ is a global project launched by GGI in partnership with the Ju-Jitsu International Federation. GGI and JJIF signed a global Memorandum of Understanding during the Ju-Jitsu World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, formally establishing the partnership and introducing the project at the international level.
  • Guardian Girls Judo - GGJ is a global project launched by GGI. In May 2024, GGI collaborated with the International Judo Federation on a pilot program to deliver a GGJ Seminar for women students at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. In August 2025, KIF Colombia and the Colombian Judo Federation implemented GGJ activities in Bogotá, Cali, and Barranquilla as part of the Guardian Girls Academy in Colombia.

International Conference

  • Women Citizen Dialogue - WCD is an international conference launched by GGI. In 2025, Guardian Girls Japan has collaborated with the United Nations University, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Tokyo in December 2024. The initiative promotes Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality by convening women leaders from the public and private sectors to discuss key issues affecting women before general audiences. WIP was first held at UNU in Tokyo, featuring the Mexican and South African Ambassadors to Japan and drawing an audience of more than 200 participants from the Tokyo area.

Partners and Collaborators