ECA News
The composition of the ECA Women’s Football Committee (WFC) for the 2017-19 ECA Membership Cycle has been officially approved by the ECA Executive Board. Given the growing interest and development of women’s club football in Europe, the Board has taken the decision to increase the number of clubs represented in the WFC in order to appropriately represent the crucial role of clubs in the promotion and sustainable development of the women’s game.
The WFC acts as a platform where issues related to women's football, be it on European or on a worldwide level, can be discussed. Members of the committee have strong knowledge and expertise in the women’s game, providing the opportunity for committee members to develop ideas, proposals and exchange information.
Chairing the committee is ECA Executive Board Member and Olympique Lyonnais President, Jean-Michel Aulas, who was appointed by the Executive Board at the occasion of the 19th General Assembly in September. Additionally, Elitfotboll Dam General Secretary, Linda Wijkström has been appointed Vice-Chairwoman of the committee. The WFC consists of representatives from ECA Member Clubs with a women's section, as well as representatives from women's football clubs without a direct link to ECA Membership. 39 members from 26 different national associations make up the full composition of the ECA Women’s Football Committee 2017-19.
Following the recent adoption by the General Assembly of changes to the ECA Statutes & Organisational Regulations, a WFC Bureau has been created, providing further opportunity to establish and maintain a constructive dialogue with relevant stakeholders in women's football. The WFC Bureau will act with the objective to give clubs a voice in discussions and decisions affecting women's football. Eight members, including the WFC Chairman and Vice-Chairwoman, will sit on the WFC Bureau.
The newly composed committee held its inaugural meeting on 21st November in Florence, prior to the holding of the successful ECA Workshop on Women’s Club Football. The first meeting encouraged discussions concerning challenges and future objectives for the two-year membership cycle. Furthermore, Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Women's Football Officer, and Anne Vonnez, UEFA Women's Football Competitions Manager, presented the latest developments regarding women’s football at FIFA and UEFA, respectively.
The recent ECA Workshop on Women’s Club Football demonstrated the importance of the work of the WFC and the need for the interest of clubs to be seriously considered in order to achieve successful sustainable development across the women’s game.