Female Football Week is a national platform to profile and celebrate women in football with the aim of creating greater visibility across all areas of our game.
The annual celebration of women and girls in football will take place from 19 - 28 May 2023, only weeks away from the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ landing on Australia’s home shores.
Since its inception in 2014, Female Football Week has evolved into a national initiative that has assisted in raising the profile and showcasing women and girls in football at every level across the nation.
Football Australia, its State Member Federations and over 2,400 community clubs nationally will encourage Australians through a series of events to join in and #LoveOurGame as the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ draws closer.
Football Australia’s Head of Women's Football, Women's World Cup Legacy & Inclusion, Sarah Walsh:
“As football prepares to welcome the world to Australia, Female Football Week is set to be our biggest ever national celebration of women and girls in football and is just one of the many important levers to drive 50/50 equity in participation.”
Women’s football is experiencing unprecedented growth across all areas of the game and Female Football Week provides us with the opportunity to celebrate the many champions of our game and inspire a love of the game.
“From the recent CommBank Matildas docuseries we have seen where a lifelong love of football can take you – whether as a player, coach, medical practitioner, or media professional. On or off the pitch, the game has something for everyone with significant benefits and we want to open the endless opportunities to women and girls to begin their own exciting journeys in the world game,” Walsh concluded.
19 - 28 May will see a hive of activity delivered by the State Member Federations with “Come and Try” sessions, coaching and referee courses, Speakers’ webinars, Women in Football Panels, football festivals and networking events.
This year will also see the return of the national Female Football Week Awards, recognising the impact of community advocates across five award categories – players, coaches, volunteers, referees, and allies. Over 400 nominations have been received, with State winners to be announced later this month and national winners celebrated in July.
Football Queensland’s Senior Manager - Game Development, Kate Lawson, is anticipating an action-packed schedule to ignite the imagination of established and new participants.
“There are going to be more eyes on football in Australia than ever before,” Lawson said. “The increased representation of women in our game has everyone buzzing this year, which is why this Female Football Week is set to be the biggest and most exciting yet.”
“Through the rollout of social football programs and the work we're doing with our clubs to help them #Be23Ready, Football Queensland aims to continue to grow our female participation base as we welcome more women and girls to our game in the months and years to come.”
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ just 66 days away, clubs around the country are also invited to embrace FIFA’s Unity Beat and show their support for the global showpiece. Clubs who participate will go in the running to win a visit from tournament mascot Tazuni®.
A club administrator from the age of 15, now seven years later Angelica Georgopoulos is a Vice President at Strathfield FC in NSW. The 22-year-old noted the importance of Female Football Week in driving women and girls into finding their path in participation.
“These are the golden years of female football, we have come so far from when I first started playing,” Georgopoulos said. “Football has given me everything I know. It’s given me the chance to do what I love, it’s given me friends and family for life, and it’s given me real-life experience.”
“Female Football Week is an opportunity to embrace our incredibly hardworking women in this game. It can at times be challenging to be a woman in football, so spotlighting the amount of effort women and girls contribute to this game is essential. We need girls to know they can do anything and that the game needs and wants you!”
Head to ourgameaus.com.au/female-football-week for all the latest news and stories on Female Football Week 2023.
Football Australia acknowledges the Australian Sports Commission in supporting women and girls in football through Legacy ’23 and OUR GAME.
Female Football Week Highlights
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Female Football Week Awards. State winners announced from 25 May 2023 onwards.
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Hundreds of events taking place across the community ranging from come-and-try days, female football festivals and gala days, social and networking events and plenty more making this the single biggest Female Football Week yet!
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Free National online seminar series to celebrate women in football through coaching, officiating, and playing.
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In partnership with the FIFA Women’s World CupTM, Football Australia is inviting Clubs all around the country to embrace the Unity Beat, and record and share their videos for the chance to win a visit from Tazuni® in the lead-up to the tournament.
Get involved with OUR GAME:
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Website: ourgameaus.com.au
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Twitter: @OurGameAus
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Facebook: @OurGameAus
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Instagram: @OurGameAus
