Brazil is a nation of soccer, but when it comes to women and girls’ participation in soccer, the numbers tell a different story.

Addressing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in China has emerged as a significant foreign policy issue in the twenty-first century. Dr. Becky Clark and Dr. Andrea Woodson- Smith made a historical trip serving as the first ever disabled sports envoys to travel on behalf of the State Department to Guangzhou, China.

Working with U.S. Embassy in San José, the State Department developed a Sports Envoy program to reach out to Costa Rican women and youth—girls in particular—through the game of soccer.

From March 31 to April 7, former U.S. Women’s National Team Soccer Players Linda Hamilton and Kate Sobrero-Markgraf headed up a female-focused sports envoy program in Chile.