The Female Football week celebrations are an important part of the annual calendar, and I commend Football Queensland for recognising the contribution that females of all ages make to the game that I am very passionate about.
Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci stated: “The Female Football Week Awards are a fantastic way to recognise the integral role that women play across the game, both on and off the field. Football Queensland is committed to achieving 50/50 gender parity by 2027 and is focused on creating more opportunities for the recruitment, retention and recognition of talented female participants throughout our Queensland football community.”
I will not be offering any personal opinions about the “professional” aspects of females in football in terms of equal pay with men, or highlighting the difference between the number of current Matildas competing in the world’s highest-rated leagues as compared with the number of current Socceroos in similar leagues. This article is about amateur and local female football.
It is pleasing to note how female football has grown in the past decade.
The quality of games, and the technical abilities of amateur players, has seen the introduction of player pathways into the professional game in Queensland through the Brisbane Roar women’s team and the FQ talent identification program, which provides opportunities for youngsters to be exposed to coaches of the highest calibre.
I think there is much more that can be done to further enhance female football in the state.
Firstly, we must all support the game by watching games, coaching games, encouraging “come and try” opportunities for beginners, and supporting the game with the same enthusiasm as we all did throughout the World Cup held in Australia.
Football clubs must continue to provide opportunities for females to seek careers in the game such as coaching, analysts, physiotherapists and journalists to mention but a few.
The term “gender equality” is described as equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender.
That does not mean that in any organisation men and women should occupy positions based on gender.
I oppose the view of those who seek to achieve 50-50 gender parity within a timeframe.
I am a firm believer in opportunities based on “merit”. It seems to me that forcing organisations to meet 50-50 criteria is in essence condescending to those who are selected based on their gender, not on their ability. That is not equality.
By all means let’s celebrate access to resources and opportunities for both genders in equal measure, but let’s not do it for any political or diplomatic reasons, let’s do it because of the merit an individual presents.
