This is not only an opportunity to connect people who are passionate about the women's sports movement, but also a strong step forward in the journey to promote women's power in the field of sports - a field that still has many invisible barriers.
Towards a dynamic and inclusive ASEAN
Speaking at the seminar, Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Department - affirmed the indispensable role of women in modern sports.
According to Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen, women not only contribute to improving the quality of life of the community but also play a key role in the development of physical education and sports in the country. Advances in social awareness, along with the determination of leaders at all levels, have contributed to gradually eliminating gender inequality in sports - a place that was once considered the "territory" of men.
The impressive rise of female athletes such as Nguyen Thi Anh Vien (swimming), Nguyen Thuy Linh (badminton), Nguyen Thi Oanh (athletics), Chau Tuyet Van (taekwondo) or the national women's teams in football and volleyball have become powerful inspirational models.
These achievements not only affirm the capacity and determination of Vietnamese women but also motivate the community to pay more attention to the development of women's sports.
A special highlight at the Seminar was the introduction of the Gender Equality in Sports Project – a key cooperation program between Japan and ASEAN countries, including Vietnam.
Since 2023, the Vietnam Sports Administration has closely coordinated with Seijo University (Japan) - the unit authorized by the Japanese Government to implement the Project - to promote the participation of women and girls in sports, eliminate gender stereotypes and create a fair and healthy environment.
The ASEAN-Japan Gender Equality Project is not only a bilateral cooperation program but also an important preparation step for a series of major events taking place in October, when Vietnam hosts the 8th ASEAN Sports Ministers Meeting (AMMS 8) and the 16th ASEAN Senior Sports Officials Meeting (SOMS 16).
These conferences also included extended sessions with Japan, demonstrating the strong cooperation between countries in the region on sports, gender equality and human development.
The discussion is part of that process. The sharing, suggestions and solutions here will become practical materials for long-term policies, contributing to raising awareness of gender equality in sports, while helping ASEAN move closer to the image of a dynamic, integrated and sustainable community.
Creating policy platforms and aspirations for change
At the Dialogue, many voices from managers, experts and female athletes brought real perspectives on the difficulties and aspirations of women in sports.
Ms. Nguyen Thanh Ha - Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) - shared about the strategy for developing women's football, focusing on professionalizing the National Championship and training the next generation of young players. The goal of the strategy is to bring the Vietnamese women's team to continue to conquer the final round of the 2031 Women's World Cup, while expanding equal playing fields for female students and developing community football as a foundation for life skillseducation .
Not only on the field or track, female athletes after retirement are also facing great challenges. According to Ms. Tran Thuy Chi - Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Vietcontent Company, up to 60% of female athletes worldwide face career difficulties after retirement, of which 70% have financial problems.
She proposed that there should be a policy to support retraining and career orientation for female athletes, and at the same time establish a separate support fund for this group of people so that they can continue to contribute to the sports field in new roles - coaches, managers, organizers, etc.
An emotional highlight came from athlete Nguyen Thi Oanh - who is considered the "Queen of the Track" of Vietnamese athletics. Sharing at the Seminar, Oanh emphasized: "Overcoming gender stereotypes, overcoming challenges, women should do everything they want to assert themselves. If not a professional athlete, each woman should choose a suitable sport to be healthy, beautiful, confident and always shine."
Not only a place for sharing, the Forum also opened up a space for policy makers, experts and representatives of organizations to propose initiatives to remove institutional bottlenecks. Practical suggestions emphasized the need to develop priority policies for women's sports, including training, funding, competition opportunities and ensuring social security after retirement.
From this Dialogue, a clear message was conveyed: Gender equality in sports is not just a story of women, but a shared responsibility of the whole society. Only when every individual, regardless of gender, has the right to access sports and develop their capacity, then sports can truly become the foundation for sustainable development.
The journey is still long and full of challenges, but the resonance from pioneers, from the companionship of the ASEAN - Japan region and the internal efforts from the Vietnamese Sports industry will be the driving force for women's sports to grow stronger in the new era.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/ky-nguyen-vuon-minh-vi-mot-tuong-lai-ben-vung-147827.html
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