FIFA and GIZ Sport present the new Women’s Empowerment programme

Avatar
Image credit: FIFA official website

FIFA has joined in a collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to fund 16 global organisations through the Sport for Women’s Empowerment programme.

GIZ works on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and has chosen the NGO LA Guilde to be the implementor of the financial support.

This programme aligns with the FIFA Women’s Development Programme and Germany’s feminist development policy, which is focused on sports-based approaches to gender equality and fits well with FIFA’s programme for growth in female football.

All these initiatives support the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

The central theme of the programme is to demonstrate how sport would be used as a tool to combat gender inequality, tackle gender-based and sexual violence, or empower and strengthen the role of women.

200 organisations across 30 GIZ’s partner countries submitted project proposals.

From this, 16 were chosen – of which 10 are football-specific projects and 3 FIFA Associations are included. These organisations are spread across Africa, Asia, The Middle East, South America and the Western Balkans.

This is a huge enterprise taken by FIFA and GIZ to expand and fund the women’s game internationally.

It shows the partnership potential FIFA has with organisations and investors that want to expand their programs into the sporting world and their popularity with international organisations and markets, especially if this fits into the positive empowerment of equality in sports within poorer communities around the world.

The 16 successful organisations are:

  • Togolese Football Association (Togo)
  • Football Association of Indonesia (Indonesia)
  • Ghana Football Association (Ghana)
  • ENGIM (Albania)
  • Together Advancing Common Trust, TAKT (North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  • Bareeq Education & Development (Jordan)
  • Permanent Peace Movement (Lebanon)
  • Cleo (Colombia)
  • Girls United Football Association (Mexico)
  • Anahat for Change Foundation (India)
  • Sudhaar Society (Pakistan)
  • Action des Volontaires d’Innovations pour le Développement, AVID (Congo DR)
  • Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo, VIS (Ghana)
  • Community Forum Organization, COFO (Malawi)
  • Demain Dès l’Aube (Togo)
  • Association Togolaise pour la Promotion du Sport pour Tous, ATPST (Togo)

“We are very excited about the huge number of applicants; all of them organisations using the power of sport to improve gender equality in their communities,” Jens Elsner said via media release, Head of the GIZ’s Global Programme.

“I am convinced that the winning organisations will make an impact by reaching out to young people and letting them experience that change towards a more inclusive and equal society is possible.”

FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman added via press release: “FIFA is dedicated to increasing female representation and diversity in football, at all levels, on and off the pitch, and this initiative is a great example of how we can create more opportunities for women through collaborating with others.”

In total, the successful organisations list features 10 football-specific projects, four multisport projects, one rugby project and one volleyball project.

Previous ArticleNext Article

South Melbourne’s Australia Cup triumph reignites promotion and relegation debate

Avatar
Image Credit: The Greek Herald

South Melbourne FC’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 has reignited debate around promotion and relegation in Australian football, with Co-President Bill Papastergiadis stating the result is further proof that ambitious National Premier Leagues clubs deserve a pathway to the top tier.

The Victorian powerhouse produced one of the competition’s biggest upsets at Lakeside Stadium, overturning an early deficit to eliminate the Isuzu UTE A-League side and secure a place in the Round of 16.

While the result was celebrated as another example of the magic of the Australia Cup, Papastergiadis believes the victory carries a much broader message about the strength that exists outside Australia’s professional league.

Speaking following the win, Papastergiadis said South Melbourne’s performance demonstrated why the Australian football landscape should move towards a connected pyramid featuring promotion and relegation.

“The result was South Melbourne FC’s revenge 22 years in the making,” Papastergiadis said.

“It also demonstrates that clubs in the National Premier Leagues have the quality, professionalism and ambition to compete with A-League opposition when given the opportunity.”

For years, South Melbourne has been one of the strongest advocates for structural reform within Australian football, consistently calling for an open pyramid that rewards sporting merit rather than maintaining a closed league system.

Papastergiadis argued that Australia Cup fixtures continue to showcase the depth of talent throughout the domestic game, with NPL clubs regularly proving they can challenge and defeat professional opponents despite operating with significantly fewer resources.

He believes these performances should not simply be viewed as isolated “cupsets”, but as evidence that Australia’s football ecosystem is ready to embrace a promotion and relegation model that provides ambitious clubs with a genuine pathway to the top flight.

The result against Adelaide United adds another significant chapter to South Melbourne’s storied history. One of Australia’s most successful clubs, South Melbourne has long maintained aspirations of returning to the national stage, backed by a passionate supporter base, strong infrastructure and a proud footballing tradition.

For Papastergiadis, victories such as Thursday night’s reinforce the argument that clubs should earn opportunities through performances on the pitch.

“The Australia Cup continues to show what’s possible when clubs from different levels of the football pyramid compete against one another,” he said.

“Our football should be built on opportunity and merit. Clubs that perform consistently and invest in their communities should have the chance to progress to the highest level.”

South Melbourne will now turn its attention to the Round of 16, where it will look to continue its impressive cup run.

Beyond the result itself, however, the victory has once again fuelled discussion around the future of Australia’s football structure and whether the growing strength of clubs outside the A-League should accelerate the push towards a fully connected national competition.

Boroondara Eagles Secure Landmark Victory as Macleay Park Set to Become NPLW Home

Avatar
Image Credits: Boroondara Eagles

A long-awaited breakthrough for the Boroondara Eagles Football Club has brought the vision of a permanent home for women’s football one step closer, with Boroondara City Council endorsing plans for an NPLW-compliant pitch at Macleay Park.

For the Eagles, the ambition to provide women with deserving facilities took a significant step forward this week after the Boroondara City Council committed to upgrading the pitch as part of the Macleay Park Masterplan.

This masterplan involved new sports lights on Macleay Park Oval 3 but failed to see any further development to the soccer facilities or the Boroondara Eagles until Monday night.

The decision marks a defining moment in the club’s history and provides a platform for sustained growth, particularly for its thriving women’s and girls’ football programs.

While the resolution represents an important planning milestone, its significance extends well beyond the construction of a new playing surface. It signals a commitment to ensuring female footballers have access to facilities capable of supporting elite development pathways while remaining connected to their local community.

Purpose-built facilities remain one of the biggest challenges facing women’s football across Australia. As participation continues to surge, many clubs have outgrown venues originally designed around significantly smaller player bases.

For a club that has experienced rapid growth in recent years, the announcement provides the opportunity to establish a permanent home capable of meeting the demands of National Premier Leagues Women’s football.

The investment also reflects a broader shift within local government and football stakeholders towards recognising the infrastructure required to support the continued growth of the women’s game.

The Council’s decision was underpinned by strong community support, with players, families, coaches, volunteers and supporters filling the Council Chamber in a powerful display of unity.

The overwhelming attendance demonstrated the depth of connection between the club and the local community, highlighting how football facilities can become important social and sporting assets beyond matchday.

Although the inclusion of the NPLW-compliant pitch within the Macleay Park Masterplan represents a significant victory, the project remains at the beginning of its journey.

Funding, planning and delivery will now become the focus as the Boroondara Eagles works alongside Council, partners and the wider community to bring the Macleay Masterplan to life.

The club has already called on local businesses, sponsors and community members to become involved in the next phase, recognising that delivering modern sporting infrastructure is a collaborative effort.

Should the project progress as envisioned, Macleay Park has the potential to become more than simply the club’s home ground. It could emerge as a center point for women’s football in the local Boroondara community, supporting participation, talent development and community engagement for years to come.

For the Boroondara Eagles, the Council resolution is not the destination—it is the foundation upon which the club can build its next chapter.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend