Photo Credit: OFC Media via Phototek
FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Dame Sarai Bareman, women’s football development officers and social responsibility managers from every Oceania Football Confederation member association have assembled in Te Whanganui a Tara/ Wellington, for the 2024 OFC Women’s Football Conference, which runs until Saturday 23 November.
Over the four days, delegates will hear from representatives from FIFA and OFC, who’ll discuss annual age group world cups, how to develop the women’s game through clubs and leagues, player development and capacity building.
Day one focused on ensuring that all delegates know what resources – especially including funding – are available to them to develop the women’s game in their Member Associations (MAs), as well as celebrating achievements in 2023 and 2024, before shifting focus to 2025 and beyond.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) General Secretary Franck Castillo opened the conference, emphasising how women’s football is a tool for change in the Pacific, and reiterated the “huge responsibility” OFC has for developing the women’s game in our region.
OFC had the privilege of hosting FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer, Sarai Bareman, at the Women’s Football Conference, in opening presentation she reflected on the power of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the growth of the women’s game.
In particular, she said, the impact of last year’s edition – the first senior FIFA World Cup to be hosted in Oceania – demonstrated the growth of the women’s game, and she gave the example of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 having two billion people engaged worldwide, compared to the 2015 edition drawing 750 million viewers.
“These milestones help us to measure the popularity with each edition, and provide us with comparable sets of data for comparisons and track growth.”
But while having the “big beautiful moments” are important and exhilarating, she said, what’s also vital is ensuring that all girls have access to the game and grassroots football.
“It’s about providing opportunities for every young girl no matter where she’s from. Why shouldn’t every young girl be given this opportunity?”
Bareman also emphasised the integration of the women’s strategy in FIFA’s overall strategy, and the need for the women’s game to be prioritised and integrated throughout member associations – rather than seen as the responsibility of just the women’s development officers or departments.
OFC Women’s Development Manager Ashleigh Cox led the group in reflections on successes in women’s football within each MA, which ranged from first time World Cup qualification, curriculum development, development of safeguarding policies and processes, and greater participation in and visibility of the game.
This was followed by a presentation from new Head of Social Responsibility Teeny Aiken, who spoke on the role of social responsibility at OFC and how social responsibility can be integrated throughout OFC’s operations.
Among other speakers on day one were, OFC Head of Football Development Paul Toohey who highlighted the mechanisms available to those at the conference, to access funding for programmes, before FIFA Expert and OFC Women’s Football Consultant Stephanie Spielmann delved into the FIFA’s Women’s Football Development Programmes available to MAs.
“The door is open, you just have to enter,” Spielmann said.