A Webinar about Women in Sports

Key points by Ioanna Georgia Eskiadi

Women with different roles in sports around the globe discussed the challenges women face in sports and the ways each community accepts them in this field.

*Facebook Live Video available here*

• Sports field challenges gender stereotypes.
• Women have far fewer leadership positions in sports management than men.
• Football (soccer) should be a genderless sport.
• Supportive parents can help girls be athletes.
• Encouragement and empowerment of women and girls are important.
• Society sometimes is difficult to accept women in sports.
• Young people need to be empowered and build character.
• Football gives the opportunity to dream big.
• Parents put limitations on young girls being athletes.
• Life skills, like resilience, are important for football.

Professional football careers for women are hard to sustain in the face of low pay, a lack of contractual support, and commitments away from the pitch. Women playing football face unique challenges that are personal, practical, economic, political and cultural. “Becoming a female soccer player, it was a struggle because football was not embraced for women”, says Brandi Chastain. Supportive and encouraging parents are really important, since the game is global and genderless. Football is a way to encourage girls to be whatever they want to be. Women playing football should be the norm for everyone; the way to start this is with younger people. Girls will want to be in positions of leadership in sports if team players give them the opportunity. “We don’t have to be perfect; we have to set our goals and we have to make strides in these directions. We don’t execute an opportunity, so the chance goes. Our future is in our hands, empowerment is important,” says Brandi Chastain.

In Kuwait, things are different from the USA — the women’s football team was created 10 years ago as a result of accepting women in sports. “In the past, it was claimed that if you get hurt this is the end of your career”, says Dalal Alrowaished. It’s a phenomenon in Africa and globally that leadership positions are left to men, under 50 years-old. Sports management is a very patriarchal committee. “My goal is to create opportunities for young people in the continent, so our locals are able to stay in Africa and be connected”, says Cynthia Mumbo. Jordan, a closed community, is difficult to accept women and girls in sports with a lot of restrictions. Women have to practice behind the doors, it’s hard to do it publicly, especially if parents are really protective. “The most difficult issue was convincing parents to let their girls do weight lifting, a sport considered only for men. My first group of women were orphans, so they didn’t have any kind of limitation or parents to stop them”, says Noor Dajani. It’s important for women to be resilient, overcome conflicts in community and in their house, and to be smart navigating discussions, and overcome bad situations.

“Soccer sisters is a book that gives women soccer players the opportunity to be protagonists, so girls see that women are playing football. It’s about supporting girls and women in sports; this was my inspiration”, says Andrea Montalbano. In Armenia girls need encouragement to play football, especially in villages. Campaigns to empower women and increase their visibility in sports is important. “There are changes on associations of football and women are becoming leaders; we have an improvement over the last years”, says Emma Sykes. In Russia, the access of sports for girls and women is still a problem “Changing perception, showing to our audience that football is a normal sport for women, football is a sport without gender”, says Maria Suchkova. Football is about a lot of things like friendship, community, life skills, learning to be a leader, and learning how to be confident.

Brandi Chastain is a two time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and two time Olympic gold medalist from the USA. She started football at a young age in a community that didn’t accept women in football. Now, she is a coach who empowers women and girls in soccer.

Dalal Alrowaished is physiotherapist for the Kuwait Women’s Football National Team that was created 10 years ago. Football has been her passion since she was a child.

Cynthia Mumbo is the Founder and CEO of Sports Connect Africa in Kenya, a commercial entity that provides opportunities for young people in sports, to stay in continent. She also has experience in sports management.

Andrea Montalbano is the author of Soccer Sisters and former soccer player at Harvard University in the USA. She became a journalist and then decided to write a book about women and the need for empowerment in soccer.

Noor Dajani is a CrossFit trainer from Jordan. She started playing sports in her late 20’s and became a coach for women and girls aiming, to empower them and give them the chance to become athletes.

Emma Sykes is a Senior Women’s Football Development Manager for UEFA in Switzerland. Her main role is to promote and provide visibility of women in soccer through various campaigns.

Maria Suchkova is head of Women’s Football Department in the Russian Football Union, and a UEFA growth mentor. She started an NGO in Moscow so girls and women have an academy for football.

This webinar is part of World Learning’s International Sports Programming Initiative for Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa Program (ISPI) — Virtual Together program, a series of virtual events, launched in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. ISPI is a program of U.S. Department of State’s Sports Diplomacy division. The series aims to engage the sports community globally, to creatively problem solve, share digital tools and work together, follow health guidance, and continue to promote active, healthy
lifestyles both physically and mentally throughout this crisis. Additional modules related to these objectives are being developed and will be announced.

The webinar is produced by Digital Communication Network, a diverse professional coalition in the digital space.