AFFA Holds Seminar on Protecting Children's Rights in Football

A seminar on "Protecting Children's Rights in Football" was held at the AFFA Education and Rehabilitation Center. Sport24.az reports that the organization's press service has released information about this.

The event was held within the framework of the Children's Rights Month, which covers October 20 – November 20, with the support of UEFA and the organization of AFFA.

The seminar was opened by Kifayat Mustafayeva, AFFA's Social and Environmental Sustainability Manager. The training process was led by Project-Based Learning expert and project mentor Ofelia Gafarova and Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Ramida Oktay.

The event was attended by social and environmental managers of clubs participating in the Misli Premier League. They were provided with practical materials on the protection of children's rights, code of ethical conduct, prevention of violence and discrimination, and the creation of a safe football environment.

The main purpose of the seminar is to recognize and protect children's rights in the football environment, prevent violence and dangerous behavior, form ethical behavior principles, and create safe football conditions. This initiative aims to strengthen the protection of children as part of a social responsibility project implemented as a result of the joint efforts of AFFA and UEFA, and to turn football into a tool for social development and awareness.

Within the framework of the training program, participants took part in interactive tasks called "Rights Cards" and "Violation of Rights in Football", and held group discussions based on real scenarios for recognizing violence and dangerous behavior. They also gained practical skills in preparing educational materials with the "Prepare Your Own Brochure" activity and learned the principles of a safe football environment through the True/False game.

At the end of the seminar, participants were given recommendations on the development and application of a code of conduct, the establishment of feedback mechanisms for children, and the promotion of educational activities in clubs and academies.

AFFA plans to hold such seminars for national teams, league representatives, and schoolchildren in the future.

The goal is to continuously promote a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment in children's football.