Sport an important vehicle to achieve gender equality

“When women excel in sport, we crush stereotypes,” says UN Women Executive Director

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Panellists at the "Advancing Gender Equality through Sports: 2030 Agenda—the contribution of sport to achieve gender equality and end violence against women and girls" event on 18 March in New York. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Panellists at the "Advancing Gender Equality through Sports: 2030 Agenda—the contribution of sport to achieve gender equality and end violence against women and girls" event on 18 March in New York. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

“In Afghanistan, football is seen as a male game. But if men can play football, why not women?” asks Khalida Popal, who made history by becoming the first captain of the Afghan National Football team in 2007. “I wanted to prove that I am a woman and I am strong,”

Ms. Popal faced many challenges for playing football and speaking up against injustices. She was kicked out of class, her father lost his job, and she and her family faced many death threats. “I had to choose between my family and being alive,” said Ms. Popal, who now lives in asylum in Denmark.

Khalida Popal was part of an event co-hosted by UN Women, Brazil and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the sidelines of the 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60). Taking place in an Olympic year and shortly after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, the event focused on highlighting sport as a vehicle to achieve gender equality and end violence against women and girls.

“Sport has given us an opportunity to form exciting partnerships. Together with the IOC, we empower young women and girls in Brazil through sport, which will leave an Olympic legacy,” UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said during her remarks. “When women excel in sport, we crush stereotypes,” she added.

“We believe that dealing with sport in an integrated way contributes to creating conditions conducive to a more peaceful, more harmonious society, and a society with a higher standard of living,” said Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, who is also the Chair of CSW60.

Olympian and IOC Member Nicole Hoevertsz highlighted the need to end violence against women in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda. “Eradicating violence against women and girls requires eradicating discriminatory attitudes that condone or encourage it. Unfortunately, sport is not immune to the problem of gender-based violence or to the behaviour that fosters it,” she said. “Ending violence against women will require deploying all available assets, including sport,” Ms. Hoevertsz added.

The event also featured UN Women’s partnership with the Valencia Club de Fútbol and included Heather Cameron, Founder and CEO of Boxgirls International.

Watch the full event:

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