FA’s ‘Let Girls Play’ aims to get girls equal access to football by 2024
The Football Association has launched the ‘Let Girls Play’ campaign to get schoolgirls equal access to football by 2024.
Launched to coincide with the International Day of the Girl, the campaign include a one-minute film and a website with resources on the health benefits of playing football.
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram will be used to distribute the campaign with the hashtag #LetGirlsPlay.
Only 63% of schools in the UK currently offer football in PE lessons for girls and it’s part of the FA’s strategic ambition to get this to 75% by 2024.
As part of the campaign, the FA has pulled together a group of 14-18-year-old women called the ‘Change Squad’ to be campaign advocates.
The FA has also netted former England international Kelly Smith to support the campaign, along with ambassadors 17-year-old Abi and 15-year-old Olivia.
Momentum is building around Uefa Women’s Euros in summer 2022, but the FA’s director of women’s football Sue Campbell says: “We do not want to wait until then to inspire and empower others to help create equal access to playing football at school.
“Now is the time to drive a far-reaching ambition to open up the game in every way to girls and the ’Let Girls Play’ campaign allows parents and teachers to play a huge role in joining us in this commitment.”
The FA is supported by the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships, which is a nationwide network of schools and training bodies working to build a sustainable infrastructure for girls’ football in schools.
Olivia added that the campaign will “allow girls like me to feel supported, encouraged and given confidence to play football at every possible opportunity”.