CAF (Confederation of African Football) has successfully concluded its landmark gender empowerment and rehabilitation initiative at the Women’s Correctional Centre in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The initiative, part of CAF’s Football For Change program, saw twenty-five incarcerated women benefit from the CAF D License Coaching Course, highlighting football’s potential as a tool for social impact and change.
FIFA and CAF Executive Committee Member Isha Johansen, a driving force behind the program, explained how this initiative aligns with her long-standing commitment to humanitarian causes.
“Everything I have done in the past three and a half decades has been driven and motivated by a humanitarian vision,” Johansen said, emphasizing the continuity of her efforts from the Women of Excellence Awards to the Pink Charity Fund and now, Football For Change.
The initiative was implemented in conjunction with the CAF and Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Women’s Football Capacity-building Workshop.
The program aims to empower women and break barriers in the football industry, fostering development among players, coaches, referees, and administrators.
“Football for Change and Reform is no different from all the other projects that I have embarked on. It uses football to empower the girls; it is about rehabilitation, transforming their lives to get them back into society,” Johansen elaborated.
Johansen’s journey to the Women’s Correctional Centre was driven by a blend of fate and a deep-seated commitment to change.
“Fate led me to the Women’s Correctional Centre. While serving as the SLFA President, we visited the male correctional centre and donated balls and jerseys.
“Similarly, we had planned to meet the young girls at the Correctional Centre, but unfortunately, my schedule did not allow it,” she recalled.
The project, which initially resonated with CAF and attracted FIFA’s attention, has seen substantial success, including an invitation to showcase the participants’ work at London Fashion Week.
This reflects the broader aim of demonstrating football’s capacity to inspire and facilitate societal change. “Fashion for Change, like Football for Reform, is part of the Football for Change project,” Johansen added.
The message CAF aims to send to incarcerated women through this initiative is one of opportunity and empowerment.
“Our narrative has shifted, and it’s essential for them to understand that the belief that football is a male-only industry is a thing of the past,” Johansen asserted.
She emphasized that women can pursue various roles within football, from coaches to administrators, making the sport an inclusive and unifying force.
Meeting the women participating in the program left a profound impression on Johansen. “A lot of them are very young. I convey my best wishes to them and assure them of CAF’s continuous support,” she said.
The program also focuses on the social reintegration of women post-incarceration. “After completing the D license course, women leaving the correctional centre can take part in coaching programs and benefit from them,” Johansen noted.
CAF has proposed the idea of setting up a 7-aside pitch for regular training, with the possibility of a small pitch within the correctional centre due to security restrictions.
Financial challenges, particularly the lack of support for legal representation, remain a significant barrier for women in correctional centres.
“The main challenge faced by women in correctional centres is the lack of financial support for legal representation. We have been working on raising funds to help them, but we need partners and donors to further this cause,” Johansen explained.
Looking ahead, CAF aspires to expand this program globally.
“This project seeks to introduce gender empowerment and rehabilitation for women in Correctional Centres. I strongly believe that we should wholeheartedly commit to this initiative and replicate it with our Member Associations in Africa,” Johansen said, expressing confidence in the initiative’s potential to use football as a force for positive change.
To support this program, Johansen calls on communities, international partners, and legal systems to collaborate with CAF and FIFA.
“It’s important to focus on areas like education, funding, and finance, but we also need legal support to ensure that football reforms are carried out effectively,” she stated, highlighting football’s unifying power and its capacity to promote economic growth and welfare without discrimination.
CAF’s Football For Change is not just about football; it’s about changing lives, breaking down barriers, and creating a more inclusive and equitable society through the beautiful game.
