Professional women footballers have been left in the dark during the pandemic, with players’ unions in 47 countries – 69% – reporting that communication from clubs and leagues has been poor or very poor.
A survey into the impact of Covid-19 by Fifpro, the global players’ union, found 52% of the 62 countries questioned between July and October had national federations that did not contact women national team players, while in 26% of countries women’s clubs were not included in the return to play protocols.
As well as a lack of clarity in an increasingly uncertain time, the report has highlighted wage cuts, job losses and a lack of mental health support as contributing to the “real dangerthat progress towards gender equality in parts of world football will be set back years,” according to Fifpro general secretary, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann.
Baer-Hoffmann said: “The results of this survey underline the extent to which women footballers are routinely overlooked in many parts of the world. Yet there are also positive steps by some stakeholders to invest in and support women’s football during the pandemic. We need more concerted action.”
In April, Fifpro published a report warning of the fragility of women’s football and the threat posed by the crisis as a result. Many of those concerns have been borne out, with 40% of unions reporting no health support for players, 66% not receiving physical support such as injury treatment and 84% reporting that players did not get any mental health support.
Despite the grim findings there are “signs of hope”, with the Italian FA working towards professional status for the league, a successful campaign to reverse the decision to suspend the women’s league in the Netherlands and the players’ association in the US having negotiated contract guarantees for players covering salary, housing and benefits.
Amanda Vandervort, Fifpro’s chief women’s football officer, said: “Like most industries, women’s football is being severely affected by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the findings of this survey highlight what we have said from the outset, that players and the game itself need strategic support to get them through these tough times.
“To that end, we also identified great cases of innovation and advancement in which new solutions are showcasing the unique potential of women’s football to thrive today and in the future.”
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