Football for Schools returns to Qatar for a seminar designed for women

A “Capacity Building” seminar was held in Doha on September 27-28

The workshop was designed for women: 40 teachers participated in the event

“2023 will be a year of consolidation of achievements, and strengthening of the monitoring and evaluation system.”

This announcement from Fatimata Sidibe, Director of Football for Schools, was made in last december at the end of a year 2022 rich in events. This vintage also ended with a World Cup in Qatar on the sidelines of which F4S had a space dedicated to the 3-2-1 Olympic and Sports Museum in Doha . And this brought joy to many children.

“Capacity building” was precisely the theme of the Football for Schools seminar which was held these September 27 and 28, in Doha , almost ten months after the globalist adventure. A workshop designed exclusively for women. There were 40 of them, all physical education teachers, who took part. But, once again, thousands of children will, in turn, benefit.

For the occasion, the Generation Amazing Foundation, the Qatar Foundation, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Qatar, all joined this project led by Football for Schools and FIFA. Spread over two days, the seminar offered a unique opportunity for educators to improve their skills. But also to become spokespersons for positive change in their respective region.

The workshop covered different aspects of the Football for Schools Programme, which aims to make football more accessible to young people by incorporating football activities into the education system. On the menu: training techniques, integration of life skills and use of the “F4S” application. It was also an opportunity for these women, coming from all walks of life, to come together, exchange ideas, and learn from each other’s experiences in learning football.

“This is an important step towards closing the gender equality gap in sport, through the FIFA Football for Schools programme,” explains Fatimata Sidibe. “Together with our partners, we envision this seminar as an open door to women in the field of sports development, while keenly hoping that this type of opportunity will increase. »

Among the speakers, we could count on the presence of Antonio Buenaño Sánchez, Manager at Football for Schools. A trio of Women's Football experts composed of -Sue Ronan Martin, Anouschka Bernhard and Thuba Sibanda- also added their stone to the building. This participation is the result of a collaboration between F4S and the FIFA Women’s Football department.

To make matters worse, the event took place at the Education City Stadium, which meant that the scent of the World Cup was in the air.

“The Qatari government has allocated the stadium only for women who would like to play football. This will allow women and girls to practice their sport in peace,” explained Alexandra Chalat, in charge of World Cup Legacy at the Qatar Foundation.

“These types of workshops, training programs and events are exactly what we aspire to provide at Education City Stadium. This spectacular venue is becoming a dedicated hub for women's sport in Qatar, as part of the legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” added Abeer Al-Khalifa, President of Education Pre -Academic at the Qatar Foundation.

This event was part of a memorandum of understanding between FIFA, Generation Amazing, and the Qatar Foundation which planned initiatives around the emancipation of young people and communities, well beyond the World Cup of FIFA, Qatar 2022™.

“We share the same goal and responsibility, to exert a positive influence on society through the power of football,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “These three organizations have made sport a privileged tool to speak directly to the new generation. We look forward to working together on many projects over the coming months, starting with the implementation of Football for Schools in Qatar.”

By designing this seminar exclusively for women, the goal was to support female teachers capable of inspiring the next generation. We can bet that the goal was achieved.