The ENDviolence campaign focuses on ending violence towards women and children and will take place in 10 countries across the Pacific.
Sporting role models will be advocating ENDviolence to aspiring athletes with the aim of changing perceptions towards women and violence in the region.
“We know that the impact of violence is life long and can be passed from generation to generation. When young people experience or witness violence, the likelihood increases of them acting violently themselves as adults. More than 70 per cent of adults in five Pacific countries admit to using physical violence that hurts a child,” said Dr. Karen Allen, UNICEF Pacific Representative.
“Breaking the cycle of violence requires us to work closely with governments, civil society, faith-based organisations and young people to address customs, systems and legal gaps that place children at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.”
The development of respect, understanding and tolerance among girls and boys, women and men and the community as a whole is key to reducing risk factors associated with gender-based violence in the Pacific.
By supporting the development of positive role models and supporting campaigns such as ENDviolence, the Just Play programme, OFC and UNICEF are working hard to change perceptions and showcase the power and potential of women and girls in the region.
OFC Head of Social Responsibility and International Relations Franck Castillo says as a confederation, OFC plays an important role in helping to highlight and bring to the forefront critical issues facing children in all of our football programmes.
“Helping children to learn positive ways of interacting and engaging with each other is one of the ways that UNICEF and OFC are working to tackle key issues of violence in the Pacific.
“Through the OFC Just Play programme children learn, from a young age, the importance of respect, the value of differences and the skills to engage with each other in a positive, meaningful way through sport and play,” said Castillo.
OFC Just Play Project Managers will lead the campaign in each country targeting the football community, engaging club and national team players to champion and promote ENDviolence.
The ENDviolence campaign will run from March through to December, culminating at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea. The OFC Champions League and OFC Nations Cups will also be used as part of the campaign platform in 2016.
About OFC
OFC is charged with the task of servicing and administering football in the Oceania region while also using the game as a tool for social development. The Confederation is led by OFC President David Chung who was elected to office in 2011.
The OFC Just Play Programme is designed and monitored by the OFC Social Responsibility department, in partnership with Australian Aid, the New Zealand Government, Football Federation Australia, UEFA Foundation for Children and UNICEF.
For more information about OFC or its 11 Member Associations visit: www.oceaniafootball.com
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org/pacificislands/
About Just Play
The OFC Just Play Programme is a sport for development programme that helps children to grow, learn and explore through sport. Just Play gives a child a ball, a coach and a safe place to play. The programme shows children how to have fun with other children, be physically active and become confident in their abilities. Through the integration of social messages, Just Play helps children to develop healthy lifestyle habits, encourages gender equality and leaders in the community, promotes social inclusion and insists on sport for all.
For more information on the programme please visit: www.justplayofc.org

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