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October 15, 2021
Coinciding with October 11’s International Day of the Girl, The FA (English Football Association) launched “Let Girls Play.” The ambition is to give all girls equal access to play football in school by 2024.
Backed by Let Girls Play ambassadors Abi, 17, and Olivia, 15, along with former England international and Barclays’ ambassador, Kelly Smith MBE, the campaign aims to inspire and empower communities and schools to want to make change and unlock equal opportunities for girls to participate in sport.
According to the FA, only 63 percent of schools currently offer girls’ football in PE lessons. Its women’s and girls’ Inspiring Positive Change strategy has a goal to have 75 percent of schools provide equal access to football for girls in PE lessons by 2024.
Olivia, a pioneer for equal access to football for young girls said: “I want every girl to have the opportunity to play football, just like boys. I think the #LetGirlsPlay campaign is a fantastic way to drive the equal access change and allow girls like me to feel supported, encouraged and given confidence to play football at every possible opportunity.”
#LetGirlsPlay encourages people to stop, listen and see how they can make a difference to this current challenge. Its website provides resources to help influence the start of change and allow more girls to feel the mental and physical benefits of exercise through football. In addition, the FA will be working with a group of young women aged 14-18 who are passionate about making a difference for girls who want to play football. Named the ‘Change Squad’, they will use their voices to help change perceptions around the sport.
“When I started my journey in football, I had no other choice but to play in a local boys’ team and I wasn’t offered the opportunity to play football in school during PE lessons. This has progressed hugely over the last few years, and I’m proud to be part of The FA’s #LetGirlsPlay campaign which will really make a difference to the young girls like me who just want to play football,” said Kelly Smith.
Momentum is growing with the approach of next year’s UEFA Women’s Euros which will be hosted in England. However, The FA’s Director of Women’s Football, Baroness Sue Campbell stated, “we do not want to wait until then to inspire and empower others to help create equal access to playing football at school.”
“Currently, only a third of girls aged 5-18 participate in football every week, and we want to change that. Now is the time to drive a far-reaching ambition to open up the game in every way to girls and the Let Girls Play campaign allows parents and teachers to play a huge role in joining us in this commitment.”
The FA is supported by the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships, which is a nationwide network of schools and training bodies working to build a sustainable infrastructure for girls’ football in schools.
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