The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) successfully completed a project under the UN Women Spotlight Initiative titled Ensuring that the Pitch is a Safe Place. The Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls is a United Nations program in partnership with the European Union and other partners, including Bermuda.
The Member Associations working on advocacy strategies are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.
The CFU initiative strengthened organizational capacity by delivering two webinars and a two-day, in-person workshop examining the barriers to women’s and girls’ participation in football. The sessions also covered the elements of advocacy to empower the participants to work towards equity for women and girls in football in their respective spheres. The CFU produced two legacy resources for the membership—an advocacy strategy guide and an advocacy video.
Natasha Dowling and Shequita Parson represented Bermuda on the webinars.
Coming out of the training, 18 draft advocacy strategies relevant to the participating Member Associations are on the drawing board. Amongst the exciting project proposals are a women’s leadership academy; increasing the number of women working in the various areas of football; introducing of a primary school league for girls; and a book about total inclusion in football. The CFU continues to provide guidance to the participants as they work towards implementation.
