In a pursuit to support women and girls from South Asian backgrounds, we have partnered with This Girl Can and the Muslim Women’s Network to break down barriers, raise aspirations, and foster inclusivity within football.
New football sessions have been designed for two main age groups: girls aged 5-14 and women aged 18+. These sessions are women and girls-only, run by women, providing a safe and supportive environment where participants can freely be themselves.
These Women’s and Girls activity sessions are supported by the Premier League Fans Fund. The Premier League Fans fund provides grants to support football clubs at all levels of the game to strengthen connections between them, their fans and local communities.
The fund supports a range of fan-focused and fan-led projects, helping to foster a sense of belonging through meaningful engagement. This includes schemes for under-represented groups, to further develop an inclusive and welcoming matchday experience for everyone.
Such funding is open to 120 professional football club community organisations in the Premier League, English Football League, National League, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship.
It supports projects that respond to local need, and which aim to improve the match day environment for fans and/or residents, address fan behaviour, and community impact such as the cost-of-living crisis, build upon a club’s heritage and engage and support underrepresented fan groups (disability, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, women and girls), and fan behaviour.
Spearheading our latest movement is Asia Asghar, a dedicated advocate for change, who has played a pivotal role in driving this initiative forward. The result is a newly established Women and Girls Football Session specifically designed to engage individuals from South Asian backgrounds.
Asia said, ‘’Sport is for everyone, who should have opportunities and treatment regardless of their characteristics. Especially when it comes to football, where South Asian girls and women face many barriers and limitation such as lack of representation in the media. This makes it difficult for young girls to get involved in the sport. Without successful South Asian Footballers, it’s hard for young girls to be inspired and experience the sport. They must see it to believe it.’’
Asia went on to say; ‘’I feel these sessions will provide the girls and women an opportunity to experience a beautiful sport in a way they feel comfortable and something they feel has never been done.’’
Despite the growing popularity of football among women and girls in the UK, South Asian female footballers remain significantly underrepresented. This disparity points to deep-rooted societal and structural obstacles that hinder their participation.
‘’We want to change aptitudes and break barriers and stereotype around Football and the South Asian and provided opportunities.’’ – Asia Asghar
Despite these challenges, a shift is underway. The Football Association (FA) and grassroots organisations have launched initiatives aimed at underrepresented groups, including South Asian girls. These programmes focus on breaking down cultural barriers, fostering a welcoming environment, and creating opportunities for girls to play football. Through her work, Asia Asghar has been able to create tailored football sessions for the Muslim community, which have garnered significant interest.
The Premier League has committed £5million to the Fund from 2023-2025. This will be administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund.
Anyone interested in joining the project can sign up and find more information HERE!
