Valencia Club de Futbol and UN Women kick off partnership to promote gender equality
First sports club ever to become global partner for the UN organization; four-year agreement will feature UN Women logo on players' jerseysDate:
Central Midfielder of Valencia FC Daniel Parejo, Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Chairwoman of Valencia CF Lay Hoon Chan Photo: Lázaro dela Peña
Launching the partnership, Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says: "UN Women is dedicated to bringing more men and boys into the gender equality conversation. Valencia's players are strong role models who will lead by example and inspire their vast fan base. We are excited to have Valencia show its support during every match played, with the cause prominently displayed to fans and viewers around the world."
With high-profile public advocacy initiatives such as HeforShe, UN Women seeks to engage men and boys across the globe as agents of change.
Chairwoman of Valencia CF, Lay Hoon Chan, the first woman ever to hold this role in the club's 96-year history, and the only female Chair of a club in the top Spanish league (Liga BBVA), adds: "We are honoured to work alongside UN Women and the global community to support and bring awareness to such a remarkable cause. This is a long-term commitment to really help make a difference to expand advocacy efforts towards gender equality. It's not only a women's issue, it's a human rights issue that Valencia CF strongly believes in."
The entire Valencia CF first team, including superstars Dani Parejo, Shkodran Mustafi, Paco Alcacer and Alvaro Negredo, as well Valencia CF Executive President, Amadeo Salvo, and Valencia CF Ambassador Mario Alberto Kempes are to kick-off the partnership in New York. David Villa, the current superstar of Major League Soccer (MLS) New York City FC and former Valencia player, and the President of La Liga, Javier Tebas, are invited as special guests.
Valencia CF will introduce their new jerseys when the team travels to Columbus, Ohio to play the MLS team Columbus Crew on 27 May, 2015. As one of the biggest and most successful clubs in Spain and throughout Europe, Valencia CF's role as a UN Women partner will bring awareness of the shared commitment to gender equality to new audiences.
Follow the conversation on Twitter via #unwomenvalenciacf, @UN_Women and @valenciacf.