AFC sign declaration to protect women and girls

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Matildas

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reinforced its commitment to ensure the safety of women in the sport by signing the Declaration of Principles for the Protection of Women and Girls from Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Football Worldwide.

The Declaration has been drawn up by international social enterprise, Association Football Development Programme (AFDP Global), which is founded by HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

The AFC is dedicated and will continue to provide a safe environment for women and girls to participate in football – on and off the pitch – without any exploitation or harassment.

By signing the declaration, the AFC reiterates its pledge to adhere to its key principles which include adopting a clear standard safeguarding code and instituting educational programmes, implementing whistleblowing and reporting mechanisms, enforcement of policies through serious sanctions and supporting affected individuals.

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “We are fully committed to providing a safe environment for everyone who plays football and at our AFC Executive meeting in Muscat in November last year we agreed to review our rules and regulations as well as Statutes in this area. That important work is on-going, and a report should go to our relevant committees in the next few months.”

AFDP Global is a social enterprise that funds, supports and partners with organisations to unite and transform communities through football.

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National Women’s Soccer League score big with record-breaking domestic TV rights deal

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NWSL TV rights deal
Image credit: Nikita Taparia via NWSL

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) have secured a four-year, $240 million USD ($324 million AUD) domestic broadcast deal with four major streaming and cable partners.

Starting in 2024, CBS, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports will nationally broadcast 118 NWSL games, and this deal also becomes the most expensive TV deal in women’s sports history which sends a strong message about its huge presence in the worlds game.

The NWSL broke several league records in this past season that completed, with record highs in membership sales, average attendance, ticket sales and single game attendance.

The NWSL has no doubt been the league to set a standard for professionalism in women’s football and no doubt the success of the US Women’s National team propelled that push to a competitive environment where the best players and coaches feature.

The financial stability of the NWSL has set an example for other women’s leagues globally, encouraging corporate investment in women’s football. The influx of financial support through sponsorships allows for the world class facilities and increased player salaries, both topics that were previously issues within the space.

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman mentioned that this deal signifies the league’s insane growth since its inception back in 2013.

“This moment is a celebration, a celebration of how far we’ve come and far we’re headed,” Berman said via press conference in San Diego last week.

“These partnerships fundamentally change the game for our league and the players who take the pitch each week. The investment into facilities and grassroots will be vital for the foundation we aim to build.

“We have taken great care to ensure our games are discoverable by increasing our reach in order to expose new audiences to everything that makes our league special, without compromising the economic value of our product. This is the beginning of our future.”

In a similar fashion, the A-League Women’s competition saw their record memberships tally for multiple teams smashed and round one attendances were fantastic compared to recent years. There were many positives from the Women’s World Cup that attributed to this rise however a little concern is the talent pool compared to other top leagues.

It has become an issue in the A-League Men’s competition and although the Matilda’s are a skilled, popular national team, it is increasingly rare to see talent be homegrown as most top young Australian players are pipped by US or European clubs to develop their skills.

The news of this NWSL record TV rights deal, and the compounding positives news in the Women’s football space over the last 12 months shows that there is a strong foundation that will inspire young girls to participate and support the sport.

Workplace Law the exclusive partner of Melbourne City A-League Women’s team

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Workplace Law and Melbourne City
Image via Workplace Law

Melbourne City FC have recently announced that Workplace Law will be the club’s new exclusive partner of the A-League Women’s team for the 2023/24 season.

Since 2003, Workplace Law has operated as a specialist law firm focused on providing advice to employers in all aspects of employment law and workplace relations.

Workplace Law also have experience in sport, working with clubs, sporting associations and leagues in both the community and national level.

Workplace Law are very passionate about growing and developing the Women’s game in Australia as it reaches a peak in popularity following the World Cup that occurred during the winter. As a result of the partnership, the Workplace Law logo will appear on the back City’s A-League Women’s training top.

Workplace Law Managing Director and Principal Athena Koelmeyer explained the decision behind the company joining City’s corporate family.

“Our firm has always believed that sporting clubs that do the right thing when it comes to building professional pathways for female athletes deserve strong corporate support,” Athena said via Melbourne City club statement.

“Melbourne City, as part of the City Football Group, have proven their commitment to providing female footballers with the first-class resources and playing opportunities, domestically and overseas, that are necessary for players to become genuinely professional.

“Our shared organisational values and standards made this partnership a perfect fit and we are delighted to be joining the Melbourne City family.”

Melbourne City FC CEO Brad Rowse expressed the same positive sentiment after the deal was signed.

“We’re delighted to have Workplace Law partner with the Club and our A-League Women’s team ahead of the 2023/24 season,” he added via club statement.

“Melbourne City has a long-standing history of supporting the Women’s game in Australia as evident by our sustained on-field success at A-Leagues level and no fewer than 10 former City players representing our country for the Matildas at the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“We’re delighted to have a partner on board who shares our values and dedication towards providing the best platform for our Women’s team. We welcome the team on board, and we look forward to working closely together.”

Melbourne City, as part of City Football Group, have changed the way the club operates with corporate partnerships and the addition of Workplace Law solely for the Women’s team is a step in that same direction as they grow their network.

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