The Football Association aims to see 90% of schools give girls equal access to football at key two and three by 2028, as part of a new four-year strategy to women’s and girls’ feet grow.
The FA’s new strategy for the period between 2024 and 2028, called Reaching Higher, also includes plans to strengthen education and support for women’s health and well-being, integrate national protection policies in and to develop more women referees and women in coaching. Furthermore, among its top four priorities is a commitment to protect the “uniqueness of the women’s game”, with the FA promising: “At least 50% of people interested in football understand the unique values of the women’s game.
Giving girls access to football in schools is a key goal for the whole sport. According to FA figures published in September, the proportion of schools offering equal access to football in physical education for girls has increased significantly from 2020, to 85 % of primary schools giving girls equal access to football in PE lessons, but things have not changed. as quickly as hoped at the high school level. Half of the secondary schools still do not offer the same football opportunities for girls as for boys.
The launch of the strategy on Thursday follows what the governing body said Positive Change Promotion Strategywho oversaw a 56% increase in the number of women and girls taking part in football in England, according to the FA’s latest figures, between 2020 and 2024.
The FA’s director of women’s football, Baroness Sue Campbell, is stepping down in November and will be replaced by Sue Day. Campbell said in a statement: “There is no doubt that we have made significant and substantial progress across all aspects of women’s and girls’ football over the past four years, but there is no room for complacency – we must strive to reach higher.
“While diversity in the women’s game is improving, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that all girls and women feel welcome in the football family regardless be it as players, coaches, officials or leaders. We can be proud of what has been achieved so far, but now is the time to refocus our priorities so we can unlock the true potential of women’s and girls’ football.”
The FA’s new women’s strategy was officially launched within a day of Uefa releasing their own new strategy for women’s football, called Unstoppable, which promised to invest a billion euros in the women’s game over the next six years, with a target of seeing six fully professional women. leagues operating in Europe by 2030 and 5,000 fully professional players across the continent.
Header Image: [Photograph: Sport England]
2024-10-31 00:10:00
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