Advancing sport participation among secondary school girls in Vietnam
The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES), in collaboration with Danson Solutions and supported by Nike Vietnam, organized the seminar “Current situation and solutions to enhance sports participation among secondary school girls in Vietnam”.
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| The seminar “Current situation and solutions to enhance sports participation among secondary school girls in Vietnam”, on June 18. (Photo: VNIES) |
The seminar was held in Hanoi in a hybrid format, combining both in-person and online participation. The event aimed to announce, share, and discuss key findings from the research on the current situation, underlying causes, barriers, and solutions to promote sport participation among secondary school girls.
It also served as a platform for education authorities, local representatives, schools, teachers, international organizations, corporate partners, and the research team to exchange perspectives and discuss practical solutions that can be implemented in school settings.
The seminar welcomed close to 80 in-person participants, including leaders and representatives from departments under the Ministry of Education and Training; the Vietnam Sports Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; representatives from UNESCO, UN Women, UNICEF, and UNFPA; representatives from VNIES, Nike Vietnam, and Danson Solutions; representatives from the Departments of Education and Training of Can Tho, Hue City, and Ninh Binh; as well as experts, school managers, influential female athletes, Physical Education teachers, students, and media agencies.
In addition, Departments of Education and Training nationwide joined the seminar virtually through 340 online connection points.
At the start of puberty for girls, sports are often left behind
The ages of 11 to 15 are considered a critical stage for girls, as significant physical and psychological changes, academic pressure, gender stereotypes, and lack of confidence may lead many girls away from physical activities and sports.
In response to this reality, VNIES and Danson Solutions have implemented activities under the research project “Developing Physical Education and School Sports in Vietnam” to gain a deeper understanding of the current situation of sports participation among secondary school girls and propose solutions that provide them with more opportunities to be active in a safe, positive, and age-appropriate environment.
To establish a theoretical foundation for the project, VNIES conducted a multi-source research study combining policy review, online surveys, on-site surveys at selected secondary schools, seminars, in-depth interviews, and stakeholder consultations. The online survey reached 524,674 respondents across 34 provinces and cities.
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| The proportion of female students participating in physical activities, exercise, or sports outside PE lessons reached 52.36%, which was 17.55 percentage points lower than that of male students. (Photo: VNIES) |
The findings show that although Vietnam has established policy foundations for Physical Education, school sports, children’s rights, and gender equality, the mechanisms and resources to specifically promote sports participation among female students remain limited.
The proportion of female students participating in physical activities, exercise, or sports outside PE lessons reached 52.36%, which was 17.55 percentage points lower than that of male students; only 20.8% of female students achieved at least one hour of physical activity per day. Female students are not a group that “dislike sports”; however, their level of strong engagement and passion remains limited.
They mainly participate in sports for health benefits, figure, stress relief, and skill development. Key barriers include limited choices of suitable sports, less engaging PE lessons, lack of confidence, fear of being judged, concerns about injuries, menstruation-related challenges, and hesitation when participating in sports with male peers.
These findings highlight the need to create a safe and inclusive sports environment that respects girls’ choices, reduces performance pressure, and supports female students in building long-term active habits.
Nurturing girls passion for sports through practical actions
Alongside the research, the project organized the training course Coach Girls Training on March 12–13 in Hanoi for experts and core Physical Education teachers. The training utilized Nike’s Coaching Girls Guide, focusing on designing girl-friendly movement activities that reduce performance pressure, increase choices, foster connection, and encourage girls to try and participate.
Following the training, the “Girls Sports Day” series, based on a friendly sports day model, was implemented at six secondary schools in Ninh Binh, Hue City, and Can Tho. Field data recorded the participation of 1,279 out of 1,593 female students, reaching an average participation rate of 80.5%; more than 5,000 students were engaged through movement activities, team games, discussion sessions, and interviews.
Initial results showed that when activities were designed to be fun, diverse, low-pressure, and supported by appropriate encouragement mechanisms, female students were able to participate more actively, pointing toward more inclusive and sustainable models of school sports for girls.
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| Alongside the research, the project organized the training course Coach Girls Training on March 12–13 in Hanoi for experts and core Physical Education teachers. (Photo: VNIES) |
Prof. Dr. Le Anh Vinh, Director General of the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, emphasized: “Physical activity and sports play an important role in children’s holistic development, especially during secondary school years, a period when students experience significant physical, psychological, and social changes.
For female students, maintaining active habits not only contributes to physical health but also supports mental well-being, confidence, collaboration skills, and a sense of belonging in the school environment. This research helps identify barriers that limit girls’ participation in sports while providing practical evidence for schools, families, and relevant stakeholders to design more suitable solutions.
Through collaboration opportunities with Nike Vietnam, Danson Solutions, and international organizations, VNIES hopes to continue translating research findings into models, recommendations, and interventions, contributing to expanded opportunities for Vietnamese girls to improve their mental and physical well-being and overall development.”
| Since 2022, the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES) and Danson Solutions have collaborated, with the support form Nike Vietnam, to enhance the professional capacity and teaching quality of primary Physical Education teachers in Vietnam, thereby encouraging students’ participation in physical activities through play and sports. As part of this collaboration, the “Active with Sports” project, featuring the 6Cs Strategy, has been implemented nationwide, reaching 34 provinces/cities and bringing positive movement experiences to more than 7 million primary students. Building on these achievements, in 2026, the partners expanded their focus to girls aged 11-15 to better understand the current situation of sports participation, identify barriers, and propose solutions to encourage female students’ engagement in physical activities and sports. This initiative aims to create a positive, inclusive, and more suitable movement environment where every girl has the opportunity to participate with confidence, develop, and unlock her full potential through sports. |
