Can you imagine a world where women’s football has more viewership and more sentiment attached than men’s football? As far as the upcoming decade is concerned, I can’t. However, I can proclaim that such a vision is attainable eventually but would require tons of tactics, tenets and target marketing. Every time a girl steps onto the football pitch, she carries with her the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the countless others who came before her.
It is essential that we, as a progressive community, prevent the legacy of such women, who have consciously taken the step to compete in a field that is heavily man-dominated, from withering away into a blackhole called nothingness. In order to ensure that women’s football thrives for years to come, the following are some impactful strategies in the aforementioned direction.
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It’s an incontestable fact, unbeknownst to all, that women’s football holds much greater promise than men’s football. Why then do we face so much disparity in the popularity of the sport for women? One of the major reasons that comes to my mind is that most women don’t begin to comprehend that it is a sport that can be played by them.
Popular culture only showcases it as a rugged and violent contact sport designed only for men. As a woman football player myself, I can say with absolute certainty that that is farthest from the truth. Simply put, the easiest way to increase women participation in this sport is by advertising it as the new “trending” sport. This can only be achieved if social media outlets enhance the commercial value by putting a clear limelight on India’s women football team players through events, recognition and monetary compensation.
It is extremely important for young girls to have role models to look up to, believe that their dream is achievable and have confidence that football exists not only in the West, but East too. Other than that, investing in grassroots programs, providing safe and sanitary facilities catering specifically to women as well as providing corruption-free opportunities for training and competitions, can potentially help India transform its women’s football landscape.
More importantly, a survey done by students of the University of Birmingham reported their key findings that the overall psychological and emotional well-being score of footballers was statistically higher compared to girls from other sports. Even the mental health benefits of this sport are numerous and awareness around it should be increased.
Undervaluing the power of this game that is always on global forefronts can deter positive growth in India and do more harm than good. Hence, time is of the essence and together, we all must take a conscious step towards creating a future where every girl in India gets an equal chance to thrive on the football pitch, and where women’s football commands the love and support it undoubtedly deserves. The moment to act is now, the possibilities- limitless.
