Wellington Phoenix are delighted to partner with the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCW) for this rebel Female Football Round that also coincides with the 125th anniversary of the first time that women voted in New Zealand.
The rebel Female Football Round is a celebration of the continued growth in participation of women in football at all levels of the game and it allows us to acknowledge and appreciate the important role women continue to play in football both on and off the pitch.
This occasion provides a platform to spark discussions around gender equality and to amplify existing female programs to ensure we remove the barriers for entry for women.
The best female footballers now run and perform as fast as the best male footballers did a few decades ago – and considerably faster than the majority of men.
As women and girls get improved access to training, nutritional advice, and sports equipment, the idea that sportsmen are better than sportswomen is becoming absurd. But the phrase “you play like a girl” is still too often used to describe a boy not playing football as he is expected to.
It’s time now to change these out-dated and limiting ideas and that’s why in collaboration with the NCW, we are celebrating all woman and looking to make equality, a reality.
The NCW was founded by Kate Sheppard in 1896, three years after the successful Suffrage campaign. In 2017, the National Council of Women launched the Gender Equal NZ campaign to finish the job that Kate started.
This year the rebel Female Football Round is a particularly special celebration. On the 6th June 2018, the Football Ferns, New Zealand’s top women’s football team, made history by signing a historic deal guaranteeing gender equality and pay parity for Senior Women’s and Men’s National Football teams – a move applauded by Gender Equal NZ.
But as well as equal pay, it’s also important that there is equality for all genders in all areas of sport – those playing, those in administration roles, those coaching, and of course referees and umpires.
This will require New Zealanders to consider how we can create equality of access to sport, which includes coaching, encouragement, promotion and support – from little kids to professional players.
We’re calling on all New Zealanders to consider whether the gender differences we think we see are real – both on the sports field and in our everyday lives.
To acknowledge both the rebel Female Football Round and Suffrage 125, the Wellington Phoenix in association with the National Council of Women is giving away complimentary tickets to the first 1,000 women and girls who attend the Round 5 match against Adelaide United on November 24.
For full terms and conditions, click here.
