Former Nigeria women’s international Ayisat Yusuf Aromire is encouraging families and sports lovers in Finland to attend to a football festival organised to raise awareness of Europe's refugee crisis, especially regarding women refugees, and to celebrate diversity.

The Football for Refugee Women festival takes place on 16 October at the HS Areena in Helsinki as part of the Football People action weeks and aims to support and encourage refugee women to be active in sport and through sport actively participate in society.

The event is being organised by the Fare member Monaliiku, who work to encourage and promote the well-being of women and girls through sports and cultural activities, regardless of their religion, colour, nationality or background.

The festival is also looking to raise funds for creating opportunities for refugee women to exercise.

Ayisat, who is an ambassador for the event alongside Eva Biaudet, a Member of Parliament in Finland, said: “It’s a family event and I would like everyone to be there. It’s going to be a wonderful and great festival.”

The event will see around eight to ten amateur sides from across Finland take part in a football tournament, including teams representing refugee centres. The festival will also have an open space for organisations engaged in immigration and refugee advocacy.

Alongside the tournament, there will be opportunities to watch and take part in Kangoo jumps, a mini-football school for adults and children, freestyle football performances, henna and face painting. Entertainment will be provided by Sandhja Kuivalainen, who will perform a few of her songs.

Monliiku is an association established in 2009, to give multicultural women opportunities to engage in sports activities and increasing participation levels, aiming at enhancing their members’ physical and mental fitness and health. The event is one of the highlights of this year's Football People action weeks.