Football has often been regarded as the sport of men, since the majority of the successful football teams are in men’s football. As a result, women who were interested in pursuing a career in football, were often times discouraged by either their family, friends or teachers solely because of their gender. Nevertheless, times have changed for good and in today’s world there are a lot of women’s football clubs worldwide, which is great news for all humanity but especially young females who have such aspirations, because now they have models to look up to. The female teams of earlier years have had to face many challenges so that women of today can play freely. Even though interest had been present for as long as we remember, other indicators did not allow females to play.
However, in the past 20 years this thought has been challenged and now more and more females play football freely and have their own teams. Globally, women’s football even organizes the FIFA women world cup now and other corresponding competitions that allow women to pursue a full-time career in football. On the other hand, on a local level many countries have their own national teams as well and organize the respective domestic leagues, just like Cyprus does with The Cypriot First Division. On today’s article we will discuss this league’s foundation and the challenges it has faced throughout the years.
The foundation of the Cypriot First Division Women’s Football League
Cyprus, alongside the other countries, has contributed to challenging the idea that only men can play football, by having multiple female football teams founded. As a result of this growth and also the demand, but most importantly to aid and promote gender equality in sports, the Cypriot First Division Women’s Football League was founded in 1998. The establishment of this league was particularly important because finally women in the island had a stage where they could go on and show off their talent. Apart from that, this league made it possible for them to compete domestically but also internationally as the winner of this league is the team that qualifies for UEFA Women’s Champions League. Some of the season winners of the previous years include Lefkothea Latsion, AEK Kokkinochorion, Ledra Nicosia, Vamos Idaliou, Barcelona FA and Apollon Limassol.
Early challenges and perseverance
Just like everything else in its beginning, the Cypriot First Division Women’s Football League faced difficulties. These difficulties usually included constraints in the finances of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), under which the league is organized seasonally. In addition to that, by this time Cyprus had many men’s football clubs which more or less were given privileges, and hence the female clubs had limited resources. The local and international media coverage was also lacking at the beginning which made it harder for the female clubs to be promoted and people to watch the matches on their TVs. Nevertheless, even though since its foundation the team has gone through hardship, the league pioneers including players, coaches and administrators all contributed to the league’s success and helped it bloom into what it is today and defy all the odds associated to failure.
Changing mindsets and stereotypes
As previously mentioned, women globally were not allowed to enter football fields for plenty of years. The most significant global occurrence in the history of women’s football is the year 1921 in England where even though established women’s clubs were present, the Football Association banned them to play in its football grounds where their male counterparts played usually. This ban lasted for 51 years in total. In other countries, although an official ban like this one was not effective, there were a lot of cultural stereotypes that surrounded women who played football making it almost impossible for them to pursue this dream. This mindset is a challenge even today, as studies have shown that women who play football are often subject to bullying and mobbing by the society. As a result, now more than never, it is important that everyone raises their voice against this nonsense gender inequality and discrimination that female football players deal with every day.
Conclusion
Women’s football has suffered a gender discriminatory treatment from different bodies in the society for years. However, powerful individuals have stood against this discrimination and today in this century, women have more opportunities to practice their talent but also compete in different leagues. The public interest to watch those matches has also increased significantly, as it was reported that more than one million tickets have been sold for the Women’s World Cup that will be organized this year in Australia and New Zealand. The Cypriot First Division Women’s Football League is a prime example of how women’s sports can revolutionize a whole culture. The league has overcome obstacles and broken-down barriers for more than 20 years, contributing significantly to the growth of women’s football in Cyprus. The league remains a source of inspiration and optimism as it develops and expands, encouraging women to succeed in football and reinforcing the notion that gender inequality does not have a place in the world of sports.