A key part of the ALL IN: OFC Women’s Football Strategy 2027 launched last year was to establish a Women’s Development Officer in every OFC Member Association. With that goal now achieved, we sit down to learn a little more about each of the women driving the growth of women’s football in our region.
Charlotte Pelletier joined the Fédération Calédonienne de Football (FCF) as Women’s Development Officer in 2020, as part of a wider role as FCF Head of Women’s Football Development. Get to know more about her below.
OFC: Who is Charlotte Pelletier?
CP: I live in the capital of New Caledonia, Nouméa. I am the eldest child out of three and I really enjoy reading and scuba diving. I have been working in football since 2013 and from 2013-2020 I was working in a football club as a manager, before I joined FCF as Head of Women’s Football Development.
Has football always been a part of your life?
I started playing football at the age of six with the boys up until I was 14. I then got involved as a referee before I became a coach. I took on coaching because I realised that there were not many female coaches in New Caledonia. I also like the connections we make with players. Coaching provides mutual learning opportunities; the players learn from me as I do from them.
What are some of the challenges women face in New Caledonia?
It can be hard for women to voice their opinions in New Caledonia, which means often they aren’t confident. They are also required to take care of the family, making it harder for them to find time and invest it into football.
Why did you take on the responsibility of WDO?
I would like to see more women involved in football and I want them to feel supported. Football has many opportunities for women, such as travelling to meet like-minded women in other countries.
Meeting new people and participating in other football activities can help them with their self-confidence to achieve their goals. The most important part about having women in these spaces is that it changes the approach, which is what we need as it is different to mentoring men.