This activity aims to further enhance the influence and desired effectiveness of the project.
Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Sports Authority of Vietnam, participated in an online working session with Seijo University, Japan, on the afternoon of May 29.
The working session aimed to review the achievements made in the past period and discuss upcoming implementation plans.
Opening the session, Mr. Sho Sato, Project Manager from Seijo University, Japan, summarized some key aspects of the project. He noted that the "ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sports: Gender Equality" project, implemented by Seijo University (through its International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality - SGE) in close cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat, has yielded significant results for ASEAN member states such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, and Vietnam.
In the past, the project organized several important workshops, including the ASEAN-Japan Workshop on Gender Equality in Sports in Hanoi, Vietnam, in January 2024, focusing on integrating gender perspectives into sports policies. Also in January 2024, in Hanoi, a thematic interview on gender equality, "women and sports," was held with the participation of female coaches, athletes, officials, leaders from state management agencies, and sports federations/associations of Vietnam. This was followed by a workshop in Manila, the Philippines, in January 2025, focusing on monitoring and evaluating gender equality policies in sports.
Studies conducted in some countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, considering their respective cultural and social contexts, have affirmed the importance of sports for women and girls. The project also supported online meetings with ASEAN countries to discuss gender equality issues and national action plans.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, several surveys were conducted to understand the needs and frameworks of each country, collecting gender-disaggregated data to identify priority issues in each nation, and analyzing them to find common challenges faced by all ten Southeast Asian countries
Online working session with Seijo University, Japan, on the afternoon of May 29
Sharing the activity plan for 2025, Mr. Sho Sato emphasized policy formulation and the development of a comprehensive plan for the next five years, including priority objectives and other related issues.
Also in 2025, four separate meetings will be held for the project countries in May, June, November, and December. These meetings will allow the project management to synthesize, grasp, and share experiences at two general meetings scheduled for July and December. Most importantly, a comprehensive meeting will take place in the first quarter of 2026 in Cambodia. There, policymakers will discuss mid-term and long-term policies for gender mainstreaming, sports policy content, and budgeting for related activities.
Regarding the content that Seijo University, Japan, wished to discuss during the planned private working session, Deputy Director Le Thi Hoang Yen stated that Vietnam has developed mid-term goals with a top priority of further promoting women's leadership in sports. Along with that, the aim is to provide athletes with skills for development through investment in education and careers.
Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen also highlighted the current situation and challenges in realizing Vietnam's goals for achieving gender equality in sports.
To actualize the set goals, the working group on women's advancement cooperates with women and sports units of the Vietnam Olympic Committee to promote activities related to women and sports. Communication efforts are being strengthened to raise awareness about women and sports. Additionally, the working group on women's advancement plans to organize several activities in the near future, such as: gender equality training in sports for management officials of national sports federations/associations, the Vietnam Olympic Committee, and the Vietnam Paralympic Committee; organizing an Olympic run day with outstanding female athletes; organizing a ceremony to honor outstanding women's sports teams; and organizing women's sports tournaments.
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The "ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sports: Gender Equality" project, implemented by Seijo University (through its International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality - SGE), has the following main objectives:
Promoting gender equality through sports: Aiming to create a society where women and girls in ASEAN countries can access sports safely and equally, enjoying all the benefits that sports offer.
Supporting policy formulation: Providing objective research results to ASEAN governments on the importance of women and girls participating in sports, as well as factors hindering their participation, thereby supporting the development of appropriate policies.
Raising awareness and capacity: Organizing workshops and training courses for policymakers and stakeholders to integrate gender considerations into sports policies.
The Government of Japan, through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) and the Japan Sport Council's "Sport for Tomorrow" program, provides financial support for the project.
In addition to the ASEAN Secretariat, international organizations such as UN Women and the Global Observatory for Gender and Sport (GO) also participate in the cooperation.
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Ha Phuong