Breast Cancer Awareness - A Football Match for Life and Women’s Empowerment in Sports

In the spirit of Pink October, members of staff from UN Women office in Albania joined employees of the Albanian Football Federation and journalists for an inspiring all-female football mini-tournament, turning the football pitch into a powerful platform for raising awareness about breast cancer.

This was the first time a mini tournament of this kind was organized by the Albanian Football Federation, aiming not only to promote a greater engagement of women and girls in sports but also to deliver a crucial message about the importance of early detection of breast cancer and standing in solidarity in the fight against the disease.

Anila Basha, the first woman to join the Executive Committee of the Albanian Football Federation as a member, greeted the event and hailed the initiative.

“This is the first time the Albanian Football Federation is organizing a mini tournament of this kind with the participation of three women’s teams playing against each other. You all contribute a lot through your daily work but with #fightlikeaneagle let us collectively give a voice to the awareness campaign in the fight against breast cancer," she said.

Michele Ribotta, UN Women Representative in Albania took a moment to express gratitude and highlight the significance of such collaboration.

“I am very pleased that we are undertaking this initiative as a tripartite partnership with members of the Federation and the media. I think this is a wonderful way of raising awareness and giving even more publicity to the breast cancer prevention month, encouraging all women to go for screening. As the United Nations and UN Women, we promote the strong participation of women in sports,” Michele Ribotta highlighted.

As the final whistle blew, the message of Pink October echoed stronger than ever.

"The sports are a key promoter of a healthy lifestyle, and who better to deliver this message than players on the field and women united in action. Let’s stand together!" said Barisa Avllaj from the Albanian Football Federation.

"Organizing such activities is very important, not only in the course of the month of October but all year round. I believe it is crucial to send a message to all women and girls to lead a healthy lifestyle and to focus on prevention by having themselves checked not just in October, but throughout the year," said Erisa Çela, UN Women Project Manager.

With every pass, goal, and cheer, the participants rallied to spread a message of hope and resilience and that together we can tackle breast cancer head-on, ensuring that no woman stands alone in this fight.