Football match spreads message of gender quality

At the Friendship Football Match 2023 “Orange Your Dream” (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Nearly 100 students from the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and Hanoi took part in the Friendship Football Match 2023 “Orange Your Dream” in the capital city on November 11.

The match was held by UN Women in collaboration with UNESCO, the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, the Ministry of Education and Training, the media centre of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Football for All Vietnam project in response to the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign (November 25 – December 10), and the national action month for gender equality and prevention and response to gender-based violence (November 15-December 15).

It highlighted the importance of sport to support diversity and equality so that individuals, regardless of their genders, are able to tap their potential to the fullest extent and fulfil their dreams.

In her opening remarks, Caroline Nyamayemombe, Acting Interim UN Women Representative in Vietnam, said that sport has affirmed its ability to promote gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, stressing football can help bring the community together, improve health, relieve pressure, and control violence activities.

Violence against women and children remains a challenge for Vietnam. According to a government’s survey in 2019, every two in three women experienced one or more forms of violence by their husbands in their lifetime. Meanwhile, the survey on the Sustainable Development Goal indicators for children and women during 2021-2021 showed that more than 68 per cent of surveyed kids aged 10-14 suffered physical punishment.

Along with joining in and cheering upon the players, the students had an opportunity to receive training from Mai Duc Chung, head coach of the Vietnam women’s football team, and engaged in a talk with national female football players, including Thanh Nha, Hai Yen and Vu Thi Hoa, and Vietnam's first FIFA female referee Bui Thi Thu Trang, who are typical role models of Vietnamese women in sport.