Earlier this month, Arsenal Defender and England superstar Leah WIlliamson took to the main stage at the UN, becoming the first England women's football player to do so… ever. Her goal? To make sure that globally the state of play within the women's sport becomes an even playing field, making sure girls and women feel wanted and needed.
Traveling to New York City, Leah took the stage and delivered a powerful message. “Sport has the power to change lives – but it’s still not a level playing field for so many girls around the world. Football definitely changed my life. After visiting the Za’atari refugee camp, I’ve seen first-hand how our football programme, Coaching for Life, is helping the girls in the camp cope better with the challenges they face.
“Almost all women footballers will have a story about the challenges they faced taking up the game, but at least in countries like England and America we had a chance. In some countries, girls have social restrictions that limit their access to playing football and that has to change. Through The Arsenal Foundation’s work with Save the Children, we’ve shown in Za’atari how we can empower girls through sport, and how boys can play an active role with us on that journey.” (Williamson, 2023)
Most recently the UN has worked with FIFPRO to improve the state of the game and make culturally significant changes within the world of football with the campaign Football for the Goals.
Find out more here on FIFPRO’s website here.
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