Typically, girls have less access than boys. Issues such as gender equality, non-violent conflict resolution, health and other life skills are introduced to HFCA female players who attend our weekly programs and the AIA ISF league. HFCA coaches act as role models for the players and this is particularly significant when it comes to increasing girls’ participation.
Our HFCA Girls team are taking part in the AIA ISF League season for the 2nd year and once again its been a very positive experience for everyone. Eighteen young women giving their all and doing it with a smile on their faces are inspiring young women around the country to play sports and push through the glass ceiling.
Our facebook page has over 84,000 followers with 17,000 of them Cambodian women and girls. Whenever we post about the HFCA's U18 Girls team we get a huge response with an average of 3,000 to 4,000 engagements. Our results on the pitch are up and down but we know the results are not what matters. Young girls in small villages around Cambodia are watching this HFCA team and have someone to look up to... girls like them playing football and showing it can be done.
HFCA is 100% committed to female participation in sports and we believe that the best way to showcase this is through our actions, not our words. There are unique challenges to ensuring HFCA can honor our committment to these young women. When we see their passion for football during training every Saturday and their desire to show women can play the game as well as men this inspires everyone at HFCA to never give up regardless of the challenges.
- Paraic Grogan, HFCA Founder
