Football’s ability to create opportunities for girls and women was at the centre of a webinar held by FIFA, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the NGO La Guilde on Thursday, 2 April, which brought together FIFA Member Associations from around the world to reflect on the impact of the Sport for Women’s Empowerment Programme.

The Sport for Women’s Empowerment Programme was launched in November 2023 to support projects using sport as a tool to advance gender equality, tackle gender-based violence and strengthen the role of women in society. Organisations from 30 GIZ partner countries, including FIFA Member Associations from those countries, submitted applications, with 16 projects selected overall. Three Member Associations – the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Togolese Football Association (FTF) – received direct funding from FIFA to deliver their projects.

Organised with the support of FIFA’s Women’s Football Development Department to share best practice and mark the completion of the programme, the webinar drew more than 80 Member Associations from across the world. Representatives from the FTF, GFA and PSSI shared their experiences of implementing projects designed to use women’s football as a catalyst for empowerment and inclusion, underscoring both the success achieved and the challenges faced.

The discussion – which was facilitated by a specialist in the social impact of sport appointed by La Guilde, the non-profit organisation that oversaw the call for proposals – provided practical examples of how football development and social impact can go hand in hand. Indeed, the projects implemented demonstrated how women’s football can serve as a vehicle for wider societal change, including by improving access to leadership opportunities and education and creating safer spaces for girls and women to participate and thrive.

A strong message emerged from all three Member Associations: projects are most effective when they are fully embedded within an organisation’s institutional strategy. Rather than existing as stand-alone initiatives, successful programmes should support both football development and broader human development goals through an integrated approach.

As FIFA continues to work towards accelerating the growth of the women’s game worldwide, the experiences shared by the representatives from Ghana, Indonesia and Togo showed that having a real sense of purpose can help maximise football’s impact far beyond the pitch.