At the meeting, ASEAN countries informed about the progress and implementation plans of the ASEAN-Japan Action Plan on Gender Equality in Sports.
In recent times, to promote gender equality in sports policies among ASEAN member countries, a number of initiatives and measures have been implemented.
Deputy Director General Le Thi Hoang Yen attends the online meeting on gender equality
One of the prominent initiatives is the "WeScore ASEAN" campaign sponsored by Japan, in which ASEAN has appointed 10 outstanding female athletes and sports officials as "ASEAN Women Sports Ambassadors". These Ambassadors use their influence to promote gender equality and empower women in the field of sports.
Along with that, the program also focuses on enhancing education and raising awareness when participating in sports activities. In particular, focusing on organizing educational programs, training and raising awareness about gender equality in sports for both men and women, especially managers, coaches, athletes and the community.
The meeting was attended by representatives of ASEAN member countries
Speaking at this meeting, on behalf of the Women and Sports Committee, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Le Thi Hoang Yen raised two initiatives of Vietnam in integrating gender issues into sports policies and practices.
The first initiative to mention is that on June 27, 2025, the Vietnam Sports Administration organized a national dialogue with the theme "Women and Sports in the new era for sustainable development". This event brought together female athletes, coaches, sports leaders, scholars, journalists and youth representatives. The content of the dialogue focused on issues such as: Breaking gender stereotypes in sports participation and leadership; Promoting women's voices in policy making; Discussing comprehensive strategies, such as digital transformation and equal access to media and training; Sharing inspiring personal stories and reflecting on the unique challenges faced by women in sport.
The second event, scheduled for August 8, is the Athletes Career Orientation Workshop, with discussion sessions taking place at the headquarters of the Vietnam Sports Administration. The workshop will focus on: Supporting career transitions for retired athletes (many of whom are women); Legal protection and equality in the workplace; Mental resilience and identity building after sport; Empowering female athletes to become future coaches, business leaders and community role models.
Participation of representatives from relevant units in the sports sector in The Vietnam venue
Both programs focus on emphasizing the important lesson that gender equality in sport is not just about participation — it includes representation, recognition and long-term support throughout the athlete’s life cycle. And these are also two events on gender equality and related to sports that the Vietnamese sports industry is organizing towards the ASEAN + Japan Sports Ministers Meeting - an event to be held in Hanoi on October 17, 2025.
In addition, Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen also shared more about the National Sports Development Plan. In particular, Vietnam is actively submitting proposals to amend the Decree on salaries, bonuses and specific policies for coaches and athletes. These amendments are currently in the process of seeking opinions from competent authorities. Among the proposed changes is a policy to provide a portion of the budget specifically for female coaches, recognizing their responsibility in supervising, monitoring and accompanying young athletes for a long time. This proposal also includes maternity benefits for female athletes and female coaches.
In addition, Deputy Director Le Thi Hoang Yen also mentioned the highlights of Vietnamese women in sports development through the issuance of the National Strategy on Women's Football Development.
The strategy sets out 05 goals, including: Comprehensively developing and professionalizing the women's football competition system in Vietnam, from domestic tournaments and clubs to the national team, with the vision of improving the quality of tournaments. Motivating young female players and strengthening Vietnam's position in the international arena. Supporting female coaches and referees to develop their potential through training and development programs. At the same time, focusing on building brand value, attracting investors sponsoring the national women’s football championship and increasing media coverage to promote the image of the national women’s team. Widely implementing school football programs for girls, to increase girls’ participation in sports, especially football.
Gender equality in sports is not only a matter of social justice, but also contributes to the sustainable development of each country and region. Sports can play an important role in empowering women, improving health, and building communities. By implementing the above measures, ASEAN can promote gender equality in sports policy, creating a fair, equitable, and beneficial sports environment for all members.
Ha Phuong