Prime Ministers of Australia and Viet Nam join a football event to promote the power of sport to change girls’ lives
Girls are unstoppable!
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Ha Noi, 4 June 2023 – The Prime Ministers of Australia, the Honourable Anthony Albanese, and Viet Nam, HE Pham Minh Chinh, attended a girls’ football event organised by the Australian Embassy, UNICEF Viet Nam and the United Nations International School of Hanoi (UNIS Hanoi) today.
As part of the Australian women’s under-20 football team’s community outreach, the team ran a coaching clinic with Vietnamese players during their visit to Viet Nam for the 2024 Asian Cup qualifiers. At the event, the two Prime Ministers highlighted the important role of sport to empower girls and young women and unlock their potential. The Prime Ministers also celebrated the upcoming Women’s World Cup 2023 in which both countries are competing.
Participants in the clinic were young Vietnamese women from HANU FC Women and Hanoi U-17 Female Football Team, which partner with UNICEF to promote the power of sport to change children’s lives. Meeting with the players, the two Prime Ministers learned about their experience as female football players and the challenges they faced or are still facing to reach their dreams in the sport. National team jerseys were gifted to the Prime Ministers at the event.
Players from the Vietnamese Women’s National team also attended the event to say farewell before leaving for Germany for training in advance of the Women’s World Cup.
Empowered. United. Unstoppable
Joining the Prime Ministers at the event, Australian Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski said: “Sport is a big part of Australia and Viet Nam’s culture. We are pleased to promote women’s sport and demonstrating the power of sport to change lives and promote gender equality. We look forward to the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand starting next month”
“Women and girls are already changing the face of football, and football is changing their lives –because sport has the power to unlock girls’ potential and make them unstoppable,” said UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam, Rana Flowers, at the event. “They have broken a glass ceiling in sport, showing that girls can do it, playing towards their dreams and encouraging millions of girls around the world. Girls are unstoppable!” she added.
Background information
In the lead up to the Women’s World Cup, which kicks off in 46 days, Australia, UNICEF, and UNIS Hanoi are promoting the power of sport as a game-changer for women and children. Girls and women have traditionally faced gender barriers when playing sport and dreaming of growing as professional football players.
Sport can empower girls by strengthening their confidence and self-esteem and building skills that are essential for every child’s future, such as strategic thinking, teamwork, leadership, confidence, discipline and learning to bounce back from defeat. It also promotes the values of inclusion, respect for self and others, fairness and cooperation; and it helps improve physical and mental health, as well as performance in school.
UNICEF Viet Nam and Australia are partners in delivering programs for children and youth, with a focus on gender equality, including ending violence against women and children. International experience in Sport for Development programs has inspired Football Without Limits, an initiative that was launched last year with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the National School Sports Association.
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Resources
Prime Minister of Australia visit: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/visit-singapore-and-vietnam
Girls & football news and video:
Football Without Limits: https://www.unicef.org/vietnam/football-without-limits
Sport for Development: https://www.unicef.org/vietnam/football-without-limits#1
For more information please contact:
- Australian Embassy: Nguyen Thi Le Trang, Senior Media Officer, Tel: +84 (0) 98 365 6307, trangle.nguyen@dfat.gov.au
- UNICEF Viet Nam: Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, Communication Specialist, Tel: +84 (0) 904154678, ntthuong@unicef.org
- UNIS Hanoi: Nguyen Hong Quyen, Communications Manager, +84 (0) 24 7300 4500 Ext: 8704 nhquyen@unishanoi.org
Media contacts
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about COVID-19, visit https://www.unicef.org/vietnam/covid-19
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit https://www.unicef.org/vietnam
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