By Samindra Kunti in Zurich
March 2 – Gianni Infantino kicked off FIFA’s 4th Conference for Equality and Inclusion with a strong message and call to action to attendees. Although not on the agenda, the ban of women in Iranian football stadiums, in force ever since 1979, provided a subtext to his address.
“Equality and inclusion are important words to the world and to the world of football, even if we are just taking care about that ball, our task goes beyond football,” said Infantino. “FIFA is committed to take its responsibility in spreading this value starting from the equal treatment we guarantee to all of our 211 Member Associations.”
“Increasing the women’s presence from one to six in the FIFA council and having appointed Mrs. Fatma Samoura, ‘an African muslim lady as Secretary General’ for the first time in over 100 years of FIFA’s history, were just the beginning of FIFA’s action to take care about women,” continued Infantino.
Having flown back from Iran overnight, where he attended the Tehran derby, Infantino stressed that he had asked the Iranian president to allow woman to attend live matches in the country. “I went yesterday to Tehran and I went to the President of Iran and I asked him “please, to consider to give access to woman in the stadium,” said Infantino. “He promised me that this will be made.”
“I hope and I am confident. We will see. I was promised that woman in Iran will have access to football stadiums soon,” concluded Infantino.
This edition of the conference was titled ‘Pass it on – Hope through Football’, with a broader emphasis on social, cultural, religious and political barriers and how football can be an action for change in breaking those barriers and attitudes that erected them. Honey Thaljieh, FIFA Corporate Communications manager and the driving force in FIFA behind the conference, emphasised the need for inclusion.
“When I was seven years old I used to play football on the streets with boys in Betlem, at that time there were no Arab women playing or being models to me,” Thaljieh told the audience. “Having the possibility to visualise your dream, when you are a girl and a boy, seeing sports champions wearing the same clothes you are wearing is the real power of sports to give you the opportunity to change your life following your dreams.”
On the sidelines of the conference Thaljieh told Insideworldfootball that the 211 member associations were key in the battle for equality, inclusion and empowerment. “We are working a lot through our 211 member associations to ensure that within their management there is diversity – more women in powerful position,” said Thaljieh. “We have other programmes for schools, kids and co-operations with NGO’s.”
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