A mobile application (app) is channelling the power of technology to encourage football fans to empower women, stop discrimination and speak out against gender-based violence in Albania.

Launched as part of a three-month campaign of the international movement HeForShe of the United Nations (UN) Women, the mobile application gives fans a chance to play quizzes in real time or offline and win a smartphone, while learning about and committing to gender equality.

"The Football Federation and Vodafone Foundation have been amazing to bring HeForShe to the escapism of the game. The HeForShe Fan android app gives all of us the chance to win and learn, to win a smartphone and learn how to empower girls and women,” said Mr. David Sanders, UN Women representative in Albania.

In football stadiums, the HeForShe campaign kicked-off in October and ran over 10 consecutive matches of the Albania top championship. HeForShe volunteers greeted arriving fans with awareness-raising materials and engaged them in discussions, and young fans in HeForShe T-shirts accompanied players onto the field for pre-match ceremonies.

“Football is passion. As a fan and as Head of Albanian Football Federation, I know well the energy and emotions football gives to fans. So, with UN Women Albania, we thought to make football a bridge to empower society and make Albanian Super League fans reflect on gender equality,” said Armand Duka, Head of the Albanian Football Federation.

Fan groups of Partizani and Tirana also joined the movement and accepted the challenge to come forward for gender equality by recording videos with empowering chants to women.