WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE MUST TURN PROFESSIONAL
The French Embassy in Türkiye, in cooperation with the Women Football Club Association, organized a conference titled “Women’s Sports in Türkiye” on March 8, International Women’s Day.
In her opening speech, French Ambassador Isabelle Dumont said, “We know there is still a long way to go for gender equality. This is true not only for France but also for Türkiye and the rest of the world.” Beşiktaş Women’s Football Teams Administrative Manager Nergiz Bulut emphasized the women’s football league needs to become professional as soon as possible. She also stressed the importance of having dedicated fields for women’s teams. After the conference, teams, including women ambassadors, played a mini-football tournament.
“A LONG WAY TO GO FOR GENDER EQUALITY”
Dumont, who hosted the event, said many women ambassadors serve in Ankara. She called this trend very positive. Dumont stated, “We all know there is still a long way to go for gender equality. France remains committed to this cause. The Paris 2024 Olympics will be the first Games in history to achieve full gender equality. This summer in Paris, 6 out of 8 Olympic medals and 17 out of 28 Paralympic medals won by Türkiye were earned by female athletes. This is truly a record.”
The conference, moderated by Müjde Elmas, featured speeches from Samsunspor Marketing Director and women’s rights lawyer Zeycan Yıldırım, former national basketball player and Turkish National Olympic Committee Board Member Şükran Albayrak, Beşiktaş Women’s Football Teams Administrative Manager Nergiz Bulut, and Women Football Club Association President Berivan Çolak.
“WE HAVE TO PROVE OURSELVES EVEN MORE”
Zeycan Yıldırım
Zeycan Yıldırım shared her experience: “You must stand behind your work. At the beginning of my career, I always felt I had to prove that I deserved a seat at the table. I thought, after a big success, people would recognize that I deserved it. But that never happened. So, I kept pushing the limits. As women, we must prove ourselves more before people truly believe in our abilities.”
“FEW WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT AND COACHING”
Şükran Albayrak pointed out that the number of male and female athletes worldwide is now almost equal. However, the number of women in coaching and management roles remains low. She noted that male executives often pressure women and that workplace bullying prevents women from advancing in these fields.
“WE NEED OUR FIELDS”
Nergiz Bulut
Nergiz Bulut stated that girls start playing football too late. She explained the main challenges of women’s football: “First, the women’s football league must become professional. If this happens, other issues will resolve themselves. Also, women need their stadiums and fields. Today, no club, including Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, or Beşiktaş, has a dedicated field for its women’s team. We can only use men’s fields according to their schedules. There is also a major problem with media visibility. No media outlet broadcasts women’s football matches. Without visibility, we can’t attract sponsors or generate revenue.”
Women Football Club Association President Berivan Çolak shared their mission: “We help women of all ages and levels experience football. First, we remind them that football is just a sport.”
MINI FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
After the conference, a tournament was held with six teams, including Ankara Metropolitan Municipality FOMGET U-17 Girls’ Football Team and Gençlerbirliği U-15 Girls’ Football Team. French Ambassador Isabelle Dumont, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Ankara Saranya Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake, South African Ambassador Bertha Dipuo Letsatsi, and Nicaraguan Ambassador Tatiana Daniela Garcia Silva also played in the tournament.
