The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of world-renowned soccer player Marta Vieira da Silva as one of his new Sustainable Development Goals Advocates for 2019-2020.
The Advocates are 17 influential public figures who are tasked by the Secretary-General to promote the Goals, raise awareness with new audiences, maintain global commitment and call for greater ambition and scalable action to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Marta, as she is universally known by her fans, is widely regarded as the best female soccer player of all time. The UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Women and Girls in Sport currently plays for Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States and as a forward on the Brazil national team. She is the all-time top scorer of the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament and has been named Player of the Year six times. She was also a member of the Brazilian national teams that won the silver medal at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, named one of six ambassadors for the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, and expected to compete in the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Marta’s selection as an SDG Advocate reflects her role in driving for the gender equality and empowerment of women that underpin the success of all the Goals, as well as her strong commitment to the United Nations, having previously also been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP. Marta is dedicating her efforts to support the United Nations and UN Women’s work across the world, inspiring women and girls to challenge stereotypes, overcome barriers and follow their dreams and ambitions, including in the area of sport, with impact across the SDGs.
Marta has often said “I know, from my life experience, that sport is a fantastic tool for empowerment…through sport, women and girls can challenge socio-cultural norms and gender stereotypes and increase their self-esteem, develop life skills and leadership; they can improve their health and ownership and understanding of their bodies; become aware of what is violence and how to prevent it, and look for available services and develop economic skills”.
The UN Secretary-General has tasked the Advocates with driving action to achieve the interconnected, transformative 2030 Agenda, building ambition, and solidifying global political will. The Advocates represent the universal character of the SDGs, hailing from Governments, entertainment, academia, sport, business and activist organizations around the world. Together, they will leverage and build bridges between their unique audiences and work together to drive progress.
Source: UN Women