WE league ‘girls empowerment’ trophy rises towards gender stereotypes

women empowerment trophy

‘women empowerment trophy’ takes shape as a sculpture made entirely of glass. designed for yogibo WE league (the japanese women’s football league that has started last year), the trophy represents a force that fights invisible obstacles. this fragile material refers to the various barriers experienced by women in society. and the trophy is proof that these barriers are breaking. created by female craftsmen and designers of sugahara kogei shioushi, and as its name reveals, this project seeks to convey messages for gender equality, social inclusion, and diversity.all images by WE league

breaking  down long-standing stereotypes

the construction process of the trophy resembles a ritual. women from the sugahara kogei shioushi (see more here) shoot a couple of footballs into the goal, which was sealed with glazing. some scores after, the glass wall collapsed, scattered in many pieces. then, the team carefully collected the fragments and transferred them to the glass workshop. there, with the proper machines and techniques, they reformed the broken pieces using the studio’s glass recycling technology. by layering, heating, and twisting the shards of glass together, the trophy that represents the ‘rising power’ of the WE league took form.

this project, not only serves the purpose of the WE league but also it’s a symbol that seeks to break down long-standing stereotypes that haunt a society.