Sports challenge makes a point on Women's Day
Student crowds at Bangkok International Preparatory and Secondary School (Bangkok Prep) let out great cheers around the football field during a friendly mixed match of boys and girls to promote International Women's Day on March 8.
When girls gained the ball and scored a goal, the crowd cheered even louder.
“Boys usually think they are better than girls,” said Kim Bui, an AustralianVietnamese Year 7 female student of Bangkok Prep. “So today is a good day for girls to get attention and respect.”
To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, UNESCO Bangkok used physical education and sport to encourage boys and girls to play together, and to demonstrate that by playing together everybody wins on the sports field.
The mixed football match ‘Only Girls Can Score’ consisted of Bangkok Prep student teams with equal numbers of boy and girl players. The rules are that only girls can score. Only girls can be the goalkeeper. And only girl goals are allowed in the net. So a team can only win by valuing and supporting their female team members.
“I feel a bit bored and uncomfortable to not be able to shoot at goal,” said Smith Uthaichalanond, a ThaiAmerican Year 7 male student of the school.
“But it’s fun. I’d need to try every way to make the girls get the ball and score. And when they can score, I’m happy too,” said the boy.
This interactive youth session highlighting the role that sport can play in connecting girls and inspiring futures, which was the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, promotes gender equality on the sports field and beyond by valuing female participation.
“We’re here in Thailand and we’re lucky as boys and girls have both the possibilities to play sport,” said UNESCO Bangkok’s Deputy Director Etienne Clement. “Girls and women in many countries, including some in this region in Asia, can’t do sports.”
“Claiming rights for girls and women should not only be on Women’s Day, but every day. When you get a position in a society to be whatever you want to become, I’d like you to carry in mind that equal rights is for everybody, men and women, boys and girls,” Clement said to the students during his speech.
UNESCO Bangkok organised this friendly mixed match with support of Right To Play, Thailand and Bangkok Prep.
