FIFA Task Force for Women’s Football hold first meeting

Zurich, Jan 15, 2014: The FIFA Task Force for Women’s Football, chaired by Moya Dodd, co-opted member of the FIFA Executive Committee and AFC Executive Committee member, held its first meeting today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich.

During its first session, the task force formed by several experts and specialists discussed the current status of the sport and focused on the creation of a FIFA strategy for women’s football in the short and longer term.

Governance, development, marketing, communications and gender equality were among the topics tackled. The creation of a FIFA Women’s Club World Cup was also discussed and will be examined further.

“We are well on track after a very constructive first meeting. We now need to implement our proposals and work to bring our views and ideas into reality. FIFA must be the engine of women’s football development and the task force will do its best to succeed in its mission” said the chairwoman of the task force, Moya Dodd.

The creation of the task force was announced by FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter following the FIFA Executive Committee meetings in October 2013. After acknowledging the 25-year history of women’s football, the Executive Committee decided to create the Task Force for Women’s Football to identify and establish priorities for the development of women’s football.

The outcome and proposals of the task force will now be presented to the FIFA Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ at its next meeting on 13 February 2014, before deciding on the next steps.

Participants of the meeting included:

Chairwoman: Moya Dodd, FIFA Executive Committee co-opted member

Members: Junko Imai, AFC Women’s Committee member, deputy chairwoman of the JFA Women’s CommitteeFran Hilton-Smith, Technical Director, South African Football Association, Nicola Demaine, Women’s Football Development Officer, Oceania Football Confederation, Vera Pauw, FIFA instructor for women’s football, Jean-Michel Aulas, President of the club Olympique Lyonnais, replaced by Olivier Blanc, Deputy General Manager of Olympique Lyonnais.

FIFA Secretary General: Jérôme Valcke

FIFA administration: Thierry Regenass, Development & Member Associations Director, Mustapha Fahmy, Competitions Director, Tatjana Haenni, Deputy Director of Competitions for Women’s Football. —- FIFA