Coinciding with International Women’s Day, which is celebrated every year on 8 March, the conference will be a platform for open, honest debate about the future of the women’s game and the role of women in sport governance.
Jacqui Oatley, one of Britain’s best-known sports broadcasters who became the first female commentator to feature on BBC’s Match of the Day, will moderate two panels – one focusing on best practices in women’s football and the other looking at the challenges and opportunities when it comes to women in leadership.
FIFA has invited a diverse group of speakers from sport and wider society including: Ruth Maphorisa, Co-Chairperson of the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG); Amber Steele, Director of Football and NBA Management at Coca-Cola; Ruth Holdaway, Chief Executive of Women In Sport; Dr Petra Jantzer, Partner at McKinsey & Company; Carolina Müller-Möhl, Müller-Möhl Group & Foundation President; and Arnaud Simon, Eurosport Group TV Content Director.
Speakers from within football include: Hope Powell, former England international and head coach; Isha Johansen, President of the Sierra Leone FA; Piara Powar, Executive Director of Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE); Kelly Simmons, The FA’s Director of the National Game and Women’s Football; and Sandra Gage, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of the National Organising Committee for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015.
Meanwhile, FIFA will be represented at the conference by: FIFA President Blatter; Lydia Nsekera, FIFA Executive Committee member; Moya Dodd, co-opted member of the FIFA Executive Committee and chairwoman of the FIFA Task Force for Women’s Football; Tatjana Haenni, Deputy Director of Competitions for Women’s Football; Mayrilian Cruz-Blanco, Senior Women’s Football Development Manager; and Honey Thaljieh, Public Relations Manager.
The FIFA Women’s Football and Leadership Conference is being organised as part of FIFA’s commitment to promote, develop and invest in women’s football so that the sport and those involved in it can grow to full potential across the world.
FIFA recognises that society, its institutions, and itself too, must do more to bring women into leadership structures and to promote gender equality. One of the key aims of the conference is to inspire further efforts within football and society to achieve greater representation and empowerment for women.
For see the full programme for the FIFA Women’s Football and Leadership Conference click here.
For more on the world game visit FIFA.com.

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