EPF’s partnership with SoF is based on our shared values for fair play and gender equality in football, and a global perspective that is built on a foundation of local grassroots activities that have a positive social impact.
Spirit was invited to participate in and run a workshop at EPF’s Equality Summit at King’s College in London on 28 and 29 July. Equal Playing Field is a non-profit initiative that tackles gender inequality in and through sport and supports sports development for girls and women everywhere. The summit brought together many of the movers and shakers in the world of women’s football: from legends of the game, social kickers, NGOs, foundations, club owners and sporting directors, supporters and their groups, through to refugees and grassroots football activists of all kinds.
It was perfectly timed: taking place on two days (28 and 29 July) following the EUROs semi finals (26 and 27 July) and just before the final at Wembley (31 July). The EUROs in England have grabbed the nation’s emotions and the attention of a global audience too. Being in England with The Ball we have been lucky enough to soak up the atmosphere at games, on the street, during workshops and gatherings with fans, where we have also been able to talk to legends of the game. The summit deepened my appreciation for what is happening right now in women’s football. It feels like a game-changer to me. But I was reminded again and again that such perceived watershed moments of change for women’s football have taken place before and come and gone. This is why Kelly Lindsay in her keynote speech, speaking directly to the people in the room said this: “We can make the magic happen! Because when we unite, nothing can stop us!”
Kelly Lindsay and I were at the University of Notre Dame at the same time. We both played “soccer”, as the Americans tend to call football, there. She is an all-american all-star who went on to represent her country and has since coached national teams and professional club teams. She has become a key motivational figure in the fight for equality in football.
Kelly’s spirit statement:
“There is no more beautiful game than football. If we can speak the language together we can change the world together. Own your rights, own your voice, own your education and make sure you hold the world accountable to give all humans the same safe space to live authentically themselves on the football pitch and beyond. One Ball, One World”
In one break-out room, which included a representative from UEFA, we talked about activism versus PR and about the difficulties of high profile athletes speaking out about things like equal play. Examples of the Colombian Feministas were brought up, particularly the cases of two women Melissa Ortiz and Isabella Echeverri who spoke out about the inequalities they were facing in 2018. See (https://assembly.malala.org/stories/colombian-womens-soccer)
They haven’t been selected for the national team since. And just last week at the Women’s Copa América the entire team protested about pay. Romina Calatayud, founder of Girls United Football Association, said that the list of women, around the globe, and particularly in South America who have spoken out and never played again for their respective national team is long.
The US Women’s National Team (USWNT), on the other hand, has secured equal pay for equal work. Becca Roux, Executive Director for the US Women’s National Team Players Association, talked about that fight for equality, and how it took years and even required a forced change of leadership at US Soccer to make it happen. There is now equal pay for equal play. There is also a 50/50 revenue share between the US Mens and Womens teams.
“Equal rate of pay for equal work” – Becca Roux, US Women’s National Team Players Association.
Carol Bates, a co-founder of the Crawley Old Girls (COGs). Carol identified herself as one of English women’s football’s lost generation. She grew up at a time when women were not allowed to play football in clubs. Incredibly, The Football Association instituted a ban from 1921 to 1970 in England that disallowed women’s football on the grounds used by its member clubs.
Carol had always wanted to play. A few years ago, she decided to just make her dream come true. And now women from all walks of life, different ages, sizes and shapes just go for it. They go to enjoy it and play for the sake of play. She asked the question: „Why do I need to be educated when I just want to play football?“. And so, she says, do many women out there. Girls just want to have fun!
Get up and stand up for Equality and the right to play!
The conference touched many extremely difficult issues that women footballers face globally.
Afghan ex-player and coach Khalida Popal is harnessing the power of football for gender equality and talked of the many hardships she and her fellow country women have faced. She talked about how Keramuddin Keram, the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation as well as other male officials from the federation had sexually harassed and raped female players in a bedroom in his office.
She talked about the help she received from Kelly Lindsay, who was the Afghan Women’s Coach, and others, who, when the Taliban came to power again, helped her to get Afghan Women’s National Team football players out of Afghanistan. “Football taught me to love being a woman. It showed me the power and strength of women uniting. I think female footballers are the strongest human beings. Think of all the hurdles and obstacles they have to overcome just to follow their dreams and write their own journey.”
Four Afghan National Team players were also in attendance who had recently been evacuated. She said: “They started playing football in Afghanistan, not just for the sake of the game, but to fight for the inclusion of women in society. They are a good example. How can we make sure to use the platform that we have, the voices and the power we have as an individual to make sure the game is safe for these players and also for their children in their future and to protect our game. My mission is to create opportunities and when I see something wrong to make sure to raise awareness, even if I have to give up everything.”
The Ball is on a journey for equality all the way to New Zealand and Australia and The 2023 World Cup.
Pledges from the conference:
Former New Zealand Football Ferns Captain Rebecca Smith – pledged multiple things: veganism, her and her partner planting their own vegetables, picking up trash in their community.
Former Australian Matildas Captain Alicia Ferguson pledged to reduce her use of single use plastics and urged others to do so too.
Elected Director of FC Lewes – Karen Dobres – pledged for Lewes to do a scoping project to find out what their major source of CO2 emissions are and take more action, they are already doing a lot she said:
“We are doing a scoping project to prioritise what our main climate actions are. We think it is going to be about travel to and from games and encouraging people to use public transport rather than cars. We have also got lots of solar panels and we think we are the first club to have got them in the UK. And we have got a community garden where we are going zero waste with our women’s lunches and growing vegetables and then composting them in the garden. We think it is very important that we all take responsibility for climate change. We are the only club in the world to be gender equal: treating women and valuing them the same as men, because the future is really female in terms of sustainability. One Ball, One World” – Karen Dobres, Elected Director FC Lewes
