The interest in women’s/girls football has grown in recent years, thanks to the sterling performance of all-female teams at international tournaments. The American National women’s team this year even won a lawsuit to get equal pay with the men’s team.
Here in Kenya, the women’s national team- Harambee starlets-
continues to show consistent growth and attract a significant number for key
games. Girl’s football, however, struggles to attain the prestige and
support their male counterparts receive.
Despite the fact that many girls and women love football,
it’s still a sport that’s overwhelmingly dominated by men. Even with our
beloved sport’s popularity, women face barriers that prevent them from
participating.
In this article, we’ll examine the barriers women and girls
face in football and how you can make your club more appealing.
The history of women’s football
In order to understand the barriers women and girls face in
football, we must first understand its history. Although the first women’s
football match was played in 1895, it gained popularity in 1920 thanks to Dick Kerr’s Ladies team and the formidable Lily Parr,
who attracted 53,000 fans during their Boxing Day match.
In 1921, things took a turn and the FA banned women from
playing on Football League grounds. This ban lasted 50 years before it was
lifted in 1971. It was argued that football was unsuitable for women.
Soon after the FA Council lifted its ban on women playing on
the grounds of affiliated clubs, the first Women’s FA Cup was held.
One of the main reasons why football is a male-dominated
sport is because of this ban. Sadly, women and girls did not grow up playing
the sport and were actively discouraged from participating.
Women’s football is now much more accessible thanks to the
lifting of the ban on the sport. By understanding the history and suppression
that occurred, we can identify the barriers women and girls may still face.
What barriers do women and girls face in football?
For us to work out how we can engage more women in football,
we should understand the barriers they may continue to encounter.
Football is for everyone, and as a grassroots community
club, you have the responsibility of breaking down these barriers.
Some common barriers that women and girls face are:
- Concerns
about body image
- Feeling
self-conscious in a sports kit
- Social
stereotyping and harassment
- Lack
of role models
- Doubts
surrounding skill level or perceived lack of skills
- Male-dominated
sports culture
- Peer
pressure
- Lack
of girls-only groups
- May
wish to be non-competitive
- Family
commitments/childcare
- Study/work pressures
- Costs
In order to make football appealing to women, it must be
made equal. A great example of how to make football more equal is Lewes FC.
Currently, they are the only professional or
semi-professional club in the world that treats both its women’s and men’s
teams equally. Their budgets, wages, training facilities, and pitches are
identical.
It is hoped that other clubs will follow Lewes FC’s lead and
commit to equal treatment.
Find out how Lewes
FC has helped to change the way for women’s football.
How can you make your football club more attractive to girls and women?
Football clubs need to work towards getting more girls
involved in football. We’ve suggested some ideas and actionable tips on how your
club can make football more appealing to females below.
Before we get started, here’s a quote from Sport England to
ponder over: “Change the offer to suit the women you are targeting – don’t
expect women to change to fit sport and exercise.” In other words, football
clubs like yours need to adapt to appeal to girls, and unless they do that,
girls are less likely to want to join.
With the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 being hosted in England this
summer, and after Barcelona’s women’s team-record crowd of 91,600 fans,
women’s football is doing better than ever. It’s a great time to help make other
girls and women fall in love with the game.
So, how can your club become more appealing?
Recruit female coaches and volunteers
You can’t expect girls to join football clubs if they don’t
have positive, female role models to admire and look up to. Some have a
preference to be trained and receive advice from someone who is like them – who
perhaps has been through a similar experience and just gets it. It’s
particularly important for teenage girls who are going through puberty and feel
more comfortable addressing issues with a female coach.
Bring a friend
Offering “bring a friend” discounts or incentives can
encourage women and girls to overcome their fear of going alone. For many
people, the most difficult part of joining a new sport is going to that first
session alone. This could be what holds them back. By letting them bring a
friend, you can help them feel less worried. Also, this can cause a domino effect
with groups of friends joining at the same time.
Dedicated changing area
Having a changing area dedicated to women and girls makes
them feel safe, included, and reassured. It’s important for sports facilities
to be able to meet the needs of women, and by providing them with a dedicated
changing area, women and girls will feel included and welcome.
Run trials
As with most situations or sports, it’s always comforting to
know you can try something first. By offering girls a trial period, they can get a good idea of how it works.
It’s also a great opportunity for coaches to clear any misconceptions, limit
any anxiety, and make it clear that everyone is equal regardless of gender.
Listen and act
What is the best way to understand girls’ needs? Simply ask
them. Is a girls-only team more appealing? Do they prefer to compete or would
they rather play for fun? Some girls might not feel comfortable playing with
boys, while others might want to be on a mixed team for mutual respect. Also,
not every girl will enjoy the competitive nature of football. Creating a team
that appeals to your demographic is essential.
Assess your marketing
The images you use speak volumes. For example, if you only
have images of boys playing football on your website and social media, it’s
hard for girls to relate. Use slogans that are inclusive and general as opposed
to ones that appeal to one gender.
Work with schools
Introducing football at an early age can have a positive
effect on girls’ uptake and participation in the sport. Speak with local
schools and encourage them to give girls the same chances as boys to play on a
regular basis. In fact, the FA has promised to give every girl in England equal
access to football in PE lessons by 2024. Your club can be part of that
movement – find out more by reading this BBC news
article.
Bring in ex-football female players
Whether it’s a local or national ex-player, arrange for them
to deliver assemblies at local schools. This should be to provide education on
women’s football and how girls can get involved. The aim is to empower girls
and give them something to aspire to whilst also making boys aware that girls
can play football too.
You can contact your local professional women’s teams, who are always keen to help in any way they can. If they have the time they will even be able to join a training session and visit local schools. For a morale booster, they can even send videos to your girls’ squad.
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