OSCE event: Tajik girls can and are able to engage in any kind of sports

Some 100 girls from different regions of Tajikistan participated in a sports festival to mark the International Day of the Girl on 11 October 2019. The event took place at the Central Republican Stadium of Dushanbe. The girls took part in different sporting activities followed by a football game. The festival aimed at influencing and changing stereotypical social norms that prevent girls from playing sports. It showed that girls can and are able to play any sport and no restrictions should be made based on gender.

“The achievements in sports prepare girls to achieve their goals in life,” said Dilorom Nusratullaeva, Head of the Women’s Football Department of the Football Federation of Tajikistan.

The festival was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in co-operation with the Football Federation of Tajikistan and the Committee of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The United Nation declared 11 October as International Day of the Girl in 2012. It acknowledges the challenges girls face and empowers them to reach their full potential and the fulfilment of their rights.