(VOVWORLD) -On International Women’s Day March 8, UNESCO convened an exchange session in France on Friday to explore global challenges and innovative approaches with a view of advancing gender equality in and through football.
 Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang and football player Huynh Nhu at the UNESCO exchange session (Photo: Ngoc Hiep/VNA) |
According to the UNESCO, last year, there were 16.6 million women and girls engaged in organized football, marking a 24% increase from 2019. The total number of women's football clubs reached more than 55,000, with a majority (59%) situated in Europe. Despite this growth, the representation of women among coaches and referees remains low, with only around 5% of coaches and 9% of referees being women.
Representing Vietnam at the exchange session was football player Huynh Nhu, who said: "I talked about the existing challenges in women’s football. I believe that one day, women’s football will improve, and Vietnamese women’s football in particular will continue to develop, with a better position in the world, so that our players can have a better life."
According to Ambassador Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, Huynh Nhu’s presence at this important event at the invitation of UNESCO on International Women’s Day, is a recognition of Vietnam’s progress in promoting gender equality.
"This shows us that UNESCO appreciates Vietnam’s experience in promotion gender equality and in sports. It also demonstrates Vietnam’s active participation in helping UNESCO promote gender equality in sports, especially in football," Anh said.