In Her Shoes, we are breaking stereotypes for women in Asia.

At fair trade, we promote gender equality. And to better empower women, we will introduce ‘My Favorite Female Footballer ‘Award in Fair Trade Cup 2019 to recognize female players in Hong Kong. The Cup invited all the teams from Division 1 Female Football League to play with football teams while raising fund for women in Pakistan.

Pakistan ranks 148 out of 149 in the latest Global Gender Gap Index, which means it is the second worst country on gender equality. Even basic needs such as those around menstrual hygiene are not met. There is stigma around menstruation, while 44% women are using rags, newspaper, or even leaves because they cannot afford sanitary pads. Girls are also forced to drop out from school during periods.

Hong Kong is a better living place in terms of gender equality than Pakistan but we still see gender stereotypes in the society. Football is one of the sectors we still find discrimination against women and girls, for example, in Cantonese, while “Foot of Division A” sounds like a compliment, it is actually a slang used to laugh at women with thick legs.

Taking advantage of this opportunity to participate in the Fair Trade Cup 2019. In her shoes, your football team will be supporting the basic needs of Pakistani women and experiencing the beauty of Hong Kong best female footballers. The football we use in Fair Trade Cup comes from an accredited fairtrade sports brand - Jinta Sport, with premium polyurethane cover, butyl bladder and PVC Free.