Protesters with red-painted hands shouted "ceasefire now!", interrupting the US Secretary of State.

British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell believes England’s Lionesses have a vital role to play in the diplomatic mission of fighting for the rights of women and girls around the world. England players on Tuesday released a collective statement, posted on Twitter by captain Millie Bright, outlining their “disappointment” in not reaching an agreement with the Football Association over performance bonus payments and commercial structures ahead of their World Cup opener against Haiti in Brisbane. That fight, they said, was driven not solely by personal gain but by “a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game” globally – a sentiment reiterated by numerous players over the last few days in the Queensland capital, where defender Lucy Bronze explained “we’re not only doing this for ourselves, we’re doing it so that we can set a standard.” Asked how she felt about the Lionesses’ advocacy, Treadell told the PA news agency: “I’m hugely proud. If you have a platform you should use it for global good. “I think the Lionesses are doing just that. They are personalities, they have a profile, it’s part of a much broader global agenda of closing the gender pay gap. [In many professions] women are still behind the men. “We must all work together to say ‘that is wrong’. If we’re doing the same job we should have equal pay. So if they voice that, if we voice that it’s about pushing that and getting people to say actually, that is about equality, that is about fairness. “Football is played on every continent. The English Premier League, the Women’s Super League in the UK, has a global audience. It’s a great soft power asset. More people watch British football than any other nation’s football. They are personalities, they have a profile, it's part of a much broader global agenda of closing the gender pay gap Vicki Treadell “So for us they are amazing brand ambassadors entering every room.” This is not the first time the Lionesses have used their platform politically. Days after lifting the Euro 2022 trophy, they collectively released a letter to then-Conservative leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss with a host of demands including a school football provision for girls identical to that offered to boys. Their campaign paid off in March when the government responded with a new package of measures designed to grant equal access to all school sport, backed by over £600 million in funding over the next two academic years. According to last year’s FIFA benchmarking report on women’s leagues and clubs, the average salary in the women’s game worldwide is just USD 14,000 (£11,000). And at international level, players from World Cup nations including France, Spain, Jamaica, Canada, South Africa and Zambia have all called out or taken action over issues ranging from playing and training conditions to personnel, while this is the first World Cup the United States will play following their landmark legal battle for equal pay. An increased prize pot of 110 million US dollars (£84.2m) for this World Cup came after an open letter to FIFA signed by 150 players from 25 national teams called for equal conditions and a guarantee that at least 30 per cent of prize money would be allocated to players. That pot is more than three times that of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, but still pales in comparison to the 440 million USD (£342m) doled out after the 2022 men’s edition in Qatar, though FIFA has outlined ambitions for parity by the next World Cups. Bright will for England’s second match wear an armband advocating for Indigenous People, a collective choice she said was “massively important to us as a team” after meeting members of the community in Australia. Treadell lauded that decision, adding: “It’s really important cultural understanding and awareness. The wonderful thing is that it’s the women of those First Nations who have been at the forefront of these welcomes. “Women to women, gender empowerment, inspiring young girls of whatever race, religion, ethnicity, that there is potential that they can realise their dreams. “And of course the Lionesses are role models about realising your dreams.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day in 2012: Bradley Wiggins celebrates historic Tour de France victory Day four of fourth Ashes Test: Eyes on the skies as England chase victory Tommy Fleetwood vows to give chase as Open history favours Brian Harman

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Arsenal defender Leah Williamson will become the first England women’s footballer to address the United Nations when she speaks at the Sustainability Development Goals Summit in New York on Tuesday. The 26-year-old, who captained the Lionesses to the European Championship title last summer, is set to speak about her visit to Za’atari in Jordan, the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world, as part of the Coaching for Life programme jointly run by Arsenal and Save the Children. Williamson was forced to miss this summer’s World Cup, where the Lionesses finished runners-up, after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in April and was able to combine the recovery process with charitable work. She told Arsenal’s club website: “Sport has the power to change lives – but it’s still not a level playing field for so many girls around the world. “Football definitely changed my life. After visiting the Za’atari refugee camp, I’ve seen first-hand how our football programme, Coaching for Life, is helping the girls in the camp cope better with the challenges they face. “Almost all women footballers will have a story about the challenges they faced taking up the game, but at least in countries like England and America we had a chance. “In some countries, girls have social restrictions that limit their access to playing football and that has to change. ” This is key all around the world as well – to address deep-rooted stereotypes Leah Williamson Coaching for Life was launched in 2018 with a mission to support the physical and mental wellbeing of children and families affected by the war in Syria. Since then, the number of girls taking part has increased from a small minority to an even split between male and female graduates. Williamson added: “At first, fathers in the camp were reluctant for their daughters to get involved – but then relented. “They saw how their daughters became empowered. We are now moving towards a gender-transformative approach in the camp. “This is key all around the world as well – to address deep-rooted stereotypes. We need to involve men and boys in the conversation about positive masculinity and the barriers women and girls face.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live England ODI captaincy against Ireland ‘a great opportunity’ for Zak Crawley Great Britain face Novak Djokovic’s Serbia in Davis Cup quarter-finals On this day in 2015: Japan stun South Africa at Rugby World Cup

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