Australian born Egyptian football ambassador Assmaah Helal wants Female Football Week to shine a light on the dedicated people working behind the scenes to make football an inclusive sport for all women in Australia.
Female Football Week has been organised by Football Federation Australia (FFA) and runs from March 2 to March 10, coinciding with International Women’s Day on Thursday March 8.
Ms Helal is one of five Female Football Week spokespeople along with Matilda’s Star Sam Kerr, businesswoman Lucy Turnbull, Fox Sports Presenter Tara Rushton and rebel Managing Director Erica Berchtold.
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A life dedicated to football
Ms Helal told SBS News that Female Football Week is about encouraging women to play but also inspiring them to become coaches and administrators.
“It is about shining a light on the work that a lot of people are doing in driving the effort to make football inclusive for all, for all women from different backgrounds,” she said.
Ms Helal's Egyptian parents supported her own sporting ambitions after they migrated to Australia in the 1970s. She said she feels proud to share her story as an ambassador for Female Football Week.
“I have been playing football my whole life and working in this space for over a decade, and I felt the time was right to share my story,” she said.
Ms Helal now works for Football United, an initiative with a strong focus on getting more women from refugee and migrant communities onto the field. About 500 young people take part in the program each year.
Assmaah Helal helps young people get involved in the game of football through her work with Football United. Source: SBS
Aiming for 50-50 representation
The FFA’s Head of Community, Women’s and Football Development, Emma Highwood, told SBS News Female Football Week is encouraging girls and women to get involved in football from the community to the elite level.
“We’re very much focused on that grassroots and entry-level space 4-11 years old, on developing girls-only programs, we’re very focused on ensuring we have more choices for girls,” she said.
The A-League held a Female Football Round last weekend.
Ms Highwood said the week is also about celebrating the Matilda’s success, the W-League and the recent awakening of women's sport more broadly.
“We need to make sure we are promoting our sport to the whole community and we’re inclusive, and people see diversity within our female representation.”
“We’re bidding for a women’s World Cup, because we have the ambition to get 50-50 representation across our game,” she said.
Breaking down barriers
Assmaah Helal's organisation Football United is an initiative of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to increase participation in the sport. It began 12 years ago as the Refugee Soccer Program, promoting football in western Sydney's refugee and migrant communities.
“We’ve had young people come from zero English, lacking in confidence to coaching and managing their own teams and clubs or pursuing their own dreams elsewhere.”
Football United offers free afterschool drop-in football programs that teach young people life skills and leadership qualities.
“We have a special focus on girls and we continually make it a priority of ours to encourage girls to take on playing opportunities.”
Ms Helal said playing football helps young people from refugee and migrant communities feel welcome in Australia.
“Imagine coming to a country you have no idea about but you know football, once that ball is on the field, it's just this magnet that attracts people,” Ms Helal said.
Football United works to get young people involved in football with a focus on refugee and migrant communities. Source: Courtesy: Football United
Making migrant families feel welcome
During her football career Assmaah Helal has observed that some young refugees and migrants face barriers to playing in organised competitions, which then deters them from signing up to a local club.
“If you come from a traumatic background like a war torn country or a low socioeconomic status where you can’t afford to pay the fees, you’re on survival mode.”
“There are logistical barriers around the finance, the transport, just understanding how the club system works here.”
Football United also supports newly arrived migrants settle into Australia.
“We provide a space that is safe for young people to make families feel welcomed. They get so many things out of playing football be that health, community or educational benefits,” Ms Helal said.
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Inspiring women to play football
Assmaah Helal hopes her dedication to football and involvement in Female Football Week will inspire girls from all backgrounds to get involved in the game.
“I would love to see a girl from a minority background, whether that’s a refugee or a newly arrived community, where she pursues football as a career and represents her new country.”
The FFA's Ms Highwood said women like Assmaah Helal and Matilda's player Sam Kerr are role models for the younger generations.
“In sport we’re at the beginning of that journey not the end.”
Football United provides free afterschool drop off football programs, initiatives that use football to teach life skills. Source: Courtesy: Football United
