Empowering women and girls through Vietnamese martial arts and sports

PSNews - Recently, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Embassy of Japan in Viet Nam, Guardian Girls International (GGI), and the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF) launched the global project Guardian Girls Vovinam (GGV) to empower women and girls through Vietnamese martial arts and sports.

Empowering women and girls through Vietnamese martial arts and sports -0
The signing of the MOU between Shin Koyamada, Co-Founder and Board Chairman of GGI, and Dr. Mai Huu Tin, Board President of WVVF, officially launched the global rollout of the GGV project in Vietnam.

The initiative of empowering women and girls through martial arts, specifically Vovinam, marks a significant milestone in connecting traditional Vietnamese martial arts with efforts to empower women and girls. The event also positions Vietnam as the first ASEAN country, and the first with an international sports federation headquartered in Southeast Asia, to formally join the GGI movement. 

Earlier, on the evening of September 16, at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam, Mr. Shin Koyamada, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of GGI, and Dr. Mai Huu Tin, President of the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), officially initiating the rollout of the GGV project in Viet Nam and globally.

Empowering women and girls through Vietnamese martial arts and sports -1
Ambassador Ito, Dau Mot University President Doan Ngoc Xuan, Vovinam Grandmasters, UNFPA Rep Jackson, WVVF President Tin, WVVF VP Chien

Vietnam joins 22 other countries across five continents where GGI has initiated projects to promote gender equality and prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The GGV is the flagship project of GGI, an international NGO under the Koyamada International Foundation (KIF). The project is implemented exclusively in partnership with WVVF and its network of more than 60 national Vovinam federations worldwide. It harnesses the power of Vovinam, Viet Nam’s traditional martial art—not only a combat discipline combining strikes and holds, but also a symbol of physical strength rooted in philosophy and Vietnamese cultural identity.

Empowering women and girls through Vietnamese martial arts and sports -2
Representative of UNFPA in Viet Nam Matt Jackson, Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Naoki Ito and delegates at the launch ceremony of the GGV project on the morning of September 17.

Speaking at the event, UNFPA Representative in Viet Nam Matt Jackson emphasized that sustainable solutions to end gender-based violence must be built on local culture, community-led initiatives, and multi-sectoral cooperation. Guardian Girls Vovinam, he said, is a clear example of this vision, as Vietnamese traditional martial arts are applied to equip women and girls with confidence, practical skills, and self-agency.

Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Naoki Ito affirmed Japan’s strong commitment to promoting gender equality and preventing violence against women and girls. In 2021, through cooperation with UNFPA, Japan also supported the establishment and operation of three One-Stop Service Centers, known as Sunshine Homes, in Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City to assist women and girls affected by gender-based violence.

Empowering women and girls through Vietnamese martial arts and sports -3
GGV leverages Vovinam, a traditional Vietnamese martial art that integrates striking and grappling techniques, symbolizing both physical strength and philosophical depth. 
Empowering women and girls through Vietnamese martial arts and sports -4
Vovinam Demonstration

“Today, by joining the Guardian Girls Viet Nam project, we reaffirm this commitment while also honoring both innovation and tradition. Through Vovinam, a traditional martial art of Viet Nam, this initiative reflects the shared values of Japan and Viet Nam in promoting the rights, safety, and holistic development of women and girls”, Ambassador Ito stressed.

Therefore, the GGV project has introduced a new approach to bringing Viet Nam’s traditional martial arts to serve the community in a profound and humanitarian way. As Mr. Shin Koyamada shared: “This journey is especially meaningful as it begins in Viet Nam, the birthplace of Vovinam, where culture, tradition, and resilience are deeply woven into national identity. The GGV project is not only about martial arts or sports, but also about creating change, affirming self-worth, and ensuring the right to live free from fear.

By Kim Khanh

Other News

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

In recent years, Ta Xua, dubbed "the paradise of clouds", has emerged as one of the mountainous destinations attracting strong interest from young travellers, particularly for its spectacular sea of clouds stretching across the mountains in the northwestern region.

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Digital transformation key to preserving, promoting ethnic cultural values

Training local young people in filming, audio recording, digital storytelling, data preservation and responsible use of AI can help build a new generation of cultural custodians. This, in turn, can help transform cultural heritage into a resource for economic development while contributing to the country’s broader development.

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

Indigenous culture becomes tourism asset in northern highlands

With growing recognition of indigenous knowledge, customs and cultural values as unique assets, ethnic communities in the northern mountainous region are shifting from simply providing tourism services to becoming creators and owners of tourism products, confidently telling their own cultural stories

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

UNESCO ready to work with Vietnam to implement International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development initiative: Representative

Jonathan Wallace Baker, UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, noted that the official proclamation of the 2027–2036 period as the "International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development" comes at a particularly important moment. As the international community works to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda while beginning to consider what comes after 2030, the Decade provides a ten-year framework to strengthen the place of culture in development.

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Traditional culture finds new life in contemporary Vietnam

Under Resolution 80-NQ/TW, dated January 7, 2026, November 24 was designated Vietnam Culture Day, to be observed annually. The occasion aims to give the public opportunities to participate in, create and enjoy cultural activities, helping spread positive values and foster pride in Vietnamese culture.

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

Vietnam prioritises MICE tourism as strategic product

For the MICE tourism sector in both Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, growth can no longer be driven merely by increasing the number of events; instead, the focus must shift to enhancing the value of each event and the competitiveness of each destination.

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Potential of ethnic minority women's football

Women’s football movements in local communities have been quietly growing, but they’ve now built up enough momentum to inspire organisers to launch the first Vietnam Ethnic Minority Women’s Football – VTV Cup in 2026.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

Phong Nha - Ke Bang named among Vietnam's 11 most beautiful destinations

According to the magazine, boat trips into Phong Nha Cave and strolls through Paradise Cave (both family-friendly) offer a tantalising glimpse of their astonishing scale, but the real adventure lies deeper within the park, where cavers wade through underground rivers and weave among stalagmites.

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism seeks new growth momentum under Resolution 26

Tourism effectiveness should be measured not only by visitor numbers and revenue, but also by spending, length of stay, repeat visits, job quality, visitor satisfaction and environmental carrying capacity, said experts.

Vietnam welcomes nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Vietnam tourism maintains strong growth, expands international markets

The National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance reported that Vietnam welcomed nearly 2 million international visitors in August, up 19.7% from July and 18.4% year-on-year. The figure represented 63.6% of the tourism sector’s full-year target of 25 million arrivals.

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

First ladies of Vietnam, Myanmar visit Van Phuc silk village

Ngo Phuong Ly, the spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, said the two countries share similarities in silk weaving and can enrich their cultural heritage through exchanges and experience sharing.