By Andrew Warshaw
July 6 – In a break with 50 years of tradition, football’s international players’ union FIFPro is opening its doors to female members to give women players a stronger voice.
Although the protest about artificial turf at the women’s World Cup in Canada failed to disrupt arguably the best event in the tournament’s history, FIFpro says it was an important factor in the initiative.
US star Abby Wambach was among a group of top women’s players who launched a gender discrimination lawsuit which they withdrew before the tournament.
In a statement, FIFpro said their move “will assist national team players, who have no representation and require assistance in collectively bargaining with their national federations and protecting their rights in major international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup.”
Former Swedish international goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson, appointed as head of FIFPro’s Women’s Football Committee, said it was important to “reach out” to women footballers.
“No matter how much drive you have or how much you dream, you need a structure,” she said. “That (turf) was the question which made us decide that women needed support. This was the tipping point for FIFPro getting involved in women’s football.”
FIFpro secretary general Theo van Seggelen welcomed the move and blasted FIFA for being “very conservative and out of touch” by declining to play the women’s World Cup on natural grass.
“Female players have been disregarded and disrespected,” he said. “As long as FIFPro is around we will not play on artificial turf. We are governed by people who are not interested in the game at all. I think women can become a driving force in this. That is what football has been crying out for.”
Australia’s Lydia Williams, a member of FIFpro’s new advisory board, said the tournament in Canada demonstrated the inequalities in the game despite a highly watchable competition on the field.
“There are still some issues and conditions that would not be accepted in the men’s game – playing on artificial turf and sharing the some hotel with opposition teams,” said Williams, who plays for Washington Spirit.
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