FIFA Launches Programme To Help Develop Women’s Football

FIFA Launches Programme To Help Develop Women’s Football

By Amina Nwokedi

World football governing body, FIFA, has launched a programme for member associations (MAs) to further develop women’s football on a sustainable basis whilst simultaneously pushing it forward into the mainstream.

In line with FIFA’s Women’s Football Strategy, the FIFA Women’s Development Programme aims to provide all 211 member associations with the opportunity to apply for and access additional resources and specialist expertise to develop women’s football at a national level.

Member associations will be able to apply for support across eight key areas of women’s football development during the 2020-2023 period. In addition to financial assistance to cover the costs in selected programmes, the FIFA Women’s Development Programme will also provide MAs with access to women’s football experts, additional equipment and technical support within FIFA in order to develop women’s football in their country.

The FIFA Women’s Development Programme underlines FIFA’s commitment to supporting MAs in developing the women’s game and builds upon the solid foundations laid by the FIFA Forward Programme. It also follows the recent announcement of an additional USD 500,000 grant per MA as part of the COVID-19 Relief Plan that will be specifically allocated to women’s football.

The FIFA Women’s Development Programme includes the following projects: Women’s Football Strategy, Women’s Football Campaign, League Development, Club Licensing, Capacity-Building for Administrators, Coach Education Scholarships, Coach Mentorship
and Women in Football Leadership.

According to Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General, “FIFA’s commitment to supporting our member associations in developing women’s football remains one of our top priorities. In addition to the funding currently available via the COVID-19 Women’s Football Grant and the FIFA Forward Programme, the FIFA Women’s Football Development Programme will provide more support and assistance to member associations so that they can invest in the women’s game at all levels.”

Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer, added, “The top-class football and billion-plus television viewers of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France showed just how far the women’s game has come."

"Our goal is to bring it ever more into the mainstream and working hand in hand with our MAs will allow us to do this and make women’s football accessible to everybody.”

"Women’s football is a key priority for FIFA, which set up a dedicated Women’s Football Division in 2016, presented its first Women’s Football Strategy two years later and is now doubling its investment across a range of areas in the women’s game."

"This investment will be distributed across a range of areas in the women’s game including competitions, capacity-building, governance and leadership, professionalisation and technical development. The new programmes represent the next phase of this development.
Member associations can apply for any of these FIFA programmes, provided that they meet the requirements and fit in with their national women’s football development strategy."