With the upcoming inaugural ECA Women's Football Summit on the horizon, ECA celebrates two years of remarkable achievements since the launch of Be A Changemaker – the organisation’s first ever dedicated women’s football strategy.
During this period, women's football has experienced an unprecedented surge of growth and professionalisation. ECA has played a key role in connecting European clubs with governing bodies and other stakeholders across the game to foster the growth of women's club football in Europe at a time when the sport is undergoing historic transformation, both on and off the pitch.
Built on the vision of developing a far-reaching, robust, and influential women's club football ecosystem, the strategy sets a clear path towards achieving the same level of professionalisation as in the men's game.
From unleashing the potential of club competitions, tackling critical, yet neglected areas of medical research and optimising high-performance player pathways, the Be a Changemaker strategy seeks to take a holistic approach to developing the club game focused on six goals:
- Enhance club player pathways to provide a prosperous and sustainable future for the game
- Accelerate professionalisation, empowering clubs to reach, maintain and exceed improved minimum standards
- Advance the economic development of women’s football and identify new commercial opportunities
- Boost the opportunities for clubs to realise European ambitions through the development of the competition landscape
- Facilitate the successful creation of new women’s football clubs across Europe
- Produce ‘first of its kind’ research studies that become a reference point for the women’s game globally
Under the guidance of Claire Bloomfield, ECA's Head of Women's Football, the organisation has made significant strides in shaping the landscape of women's club football in Europe.
"The women’s football landscape is almost unrecognisable since prior to the last FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019. The Be A Changemaker strategy has supported this growth by empowering clubs and players alike through ambitious projects and initiatives,” said Claire Bloomfield. “we have witnessed tremendous progress. However, we are only scratching the surface of what is possible.”
“The future of women's football is brimming with potential and promise. With the game gaining unprecedented attention and with records being broken all around the world on an almost weekly basis, we need to continue to capitalise on this opportunity.”
Moving forward, ECA, working alongside stakeholders across the game, will maintain a forward-looking mindset, continuously striving to achieve greater progress and reach new milestones that align with the professional landscape of the men's game. ECA CEO Charlie Marshall said:
"The growth and professionalisation of women's football has been remarkable, and ECA is fully committed to driving further progress.
“We are proud of the achievements we have made, and we envision a future where women's football stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its male counterpart.”
The ECA Women's Football Summit, to be held in London on 26 - 27 June 2023, will be a landmark event for clubs at the end of the season. The gathering will bring together leaders, experts, and stakeholders to discuss the future of the game and will demonstrate ECA’s commitment to women's football development and its vision of a more inclusive and thriving future for the sport.
“The ECA Women's Football Summit is an opportunity for us to celebrate our achievements so far and help to inform Be a Changemaker 2.0, which will take us beyond 2023." stated Claire Bloomfield. “Through collaborative engagement with stakeholders across Europe and around the world, we can continue to drive lasting positive change and create a legacy that resonates for generations to come.”