Ministry of Culture and Sports and UNICEF launch the Juego Limpio FEM talk, a national football programme for girls in Guatemala
- Español
- English
Guatemala City, 23 January 2026. The Ministry of Culture and Sports (MCD), in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), held this Friday the Juego Limpio FEM talk, a national football programme aimed at girls and adolescents, at the Patio de la Vida of the National Palace of Culture.
The talk featured three special guests who shared their experiences and reflections on sport and women’s leadership: international chef Mirciny Moliviatis, former national basketball team player Margoth Guerra, and mountaineer Andrea Cardona. The panelists agreed on the importance of Guatemala having sports programmes specifically designed for girls and adolescents.
The event was attended by the Acting Minister of Culture and Sports, Francisco Aguilar Chang, and Ana Lucía Morales, UNICEF Education Specialist.
The creation of Juego Limpio FEM represents a strategic opportunity to transform sport into a platform for social change. The programme seeks to create safe, inclusive and age-appropriate spaces for girls and adolescents, promoting their holistic development and equal opportunities—particularly for those facing higher risks of exclusion, inequality and vulnerability.
“For the Ministry of Culture and Sports, it is a commitment to provide free football opportunities for girls and adolescents across municipal and community sports centres throughout the country. Sport is a powerful tool for inclusion, values education and the creation of opportunities for Guatemala’s children and adolescents,” said Francisco Aguilar Chang, Acting Minister of Culture and Sports.
The girls’ programme will be implemented in Municipal and Community Sports Centres where the Juego Limpio initiative is already in place, as part of the Government of Guatemala’s Mano a Mano Intersectoral Initiative. It will include trained coaches and technical implementation provided by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, ensuring quality training with a strong protection focus.
UNICEF highlighted that:
“Sport is a key space for girls and adolescents to develop life skills, strengthen their self-esteem and exercise their rights in safe environments. Juego Limpio FEM is a commitment to equal opportunities and to girls’ right to play, learn and dream big,” said Ana Lucía Morales, UNICEF Guatemala Education Specialist.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports and UNICEF reaffirm their commitment to continue working together to ensure that all girls and adolescents can exercise their right to play, engage in sport and grow up in safe environments where they can fully develop their potential.
Media contacts
Acerca de UNICEF
En UNICEF promovemos los derechos y el bienestar de todos los niños, niñas y adolescentes en todo lo que hacemos. Junto a nuestros aliados, trabajamos en 190 países y territorios para transformar este compromiso en acciones prácticas que beneficien a todos los niños, centrando especialmente nuestros esfuerzos en llegar a los más vulnerables y excluidos, en todo el mundo. UNICEF responde en las emergencias protegiendo los derechos de los niños. En coordinación con los asociados de las Naciones Unidas y los organismos humanitarios, UNICEF pone a disposición de las entidades que colaboran con él sus servicios singulares de respuesta rápida para aliviar el sufrimiento de los niños y de las personas responsables de su cuidado.
Obtenga más información sobre UNICEF Guatemala y su labor siguiéndonos en: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tik Tok, Linkedin y Medium
