Gender Equality has been one of FIFA’s intention to showcase during the FIFA Women’s World Cup that was just recently displayed in the Oceania region of New Zealand and Australia. That intention has spread all over Oceania Football Confederation’s MAs including Tonga as a key method of developing the game in the Pacific not only in quantity but also the quality of the game of Female.
In the Wednesday morning 12 of October, Tonga Football Association welcomed to its Football Centre ground very special guests which includes Tonga’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Lord Vaea joined by Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, Stephanie Campbell and Britain’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, Alicia Herbert to join a Girl’s Football Festival hosted by TFA’s Just Play Program.
With a theme to specially focus on School Girl’s participation and empowerment in Foobtall, Tonga Football Association’s President, Lord Ve’ehala addressed his welcome to the guests and highlights the different projects of Tonga Football Women in Football’s milestones since the heavily involvement of the reigning monarch, King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV in the beginning of Football in Tonga.
With a few words shared to children by the Ambassador’s for Gender Equality they both have highlighted the importance of aligning FIFA’s intention with their objective in both promoting Gender Equality especially the empowerment of young Girls in sports.
“Today we witnessed all the wonderful things about sports because it gives us confidence as we work together to help each other, we work as a team and it ensures that not only our physical health and mental health are getting better but also helps us to get out there and break those beliefs that maybe girls can’t do this, we show them that we can do this and we can do it really well” Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, Stephanie Campbell.
The Festival ended with few words of encouragement by the Tonga Minister of Internal Affairs, Lord Vaea praising the hard work Tonga Football has put in promoting the equalising of sports for Male and Female in Tonga.
“As Tonga Football has showcased, where and the future is of today not only the child and the girl but where do you put them in the sport of our day. We put them in School? No we put them on the field that’s where we develop them. I didn’t know I could kick a ball like I did today until I got on the field and that’s a bit of advice about life, don’t say you can’t just do it and you’ll find out”
End.
