Over the last decade female participation in official sports has grown quite significantly, and football has been no exception. Through growing competitions such as the female Champions League and even the female FIFA World Cup, women are now taking to football as a career option which was not necessarily the case just three decades ago. In particular during this World Cup season, more women have been participating in the World Cup spirit by following the matches, supporting their home or favourite teams and even getting involved in discussions through social media.
With Africa being one of the continents that treasure the sport, it has become increasingly difficult to ignore the fusion of football in our everyday culture. Football to many is associated with passion, excitement, emotion and dedication; raising both positive and negative feelings in people and bringing individuals together in common support and through out this period these emotions are now at an all time high. But even with all football stands for, why is it just recently that women are taking vital interest in the game? This may be the case for several reasons:
Football is a global sport, which tends to grab a lot of media attention. From the matches, to the personal lives of the footballers; social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram capitalise on its popularity and women have become more aware of not just the game but also the details of those actively involved.
We witnessed the likes of Angela Markel who showed support for the German team during their world cup match against Portugal and also went to the team’s locker room to congratulate the boys on their 4-0 win.
Even the fashion industry has taken notice by incorporating football inspiration into their summer collections. With luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Versace and high street heavy hitters Forever21 and ASOS creating style pieces especially for their customers with football fever. This kind of media attention has made the sport part of our everyday lives.
For the women who are not naturally drawn to the game out of their own free will; interest may have been struck through others in their lives that have a keen and invested interest in the sport. Some women have male friends, boyfriends or husbands who are in love with the game, and may have taken to it to understand the obsession.
The most obvious reason is the current world cup season and some females may just want to get involved in the fun that comes with it. Either way, football is an international sport that is definitely here to stay and is likely to draw more women as time goes on. For those following the games, which countries are you routing for and who do you think will carry the World Cup 2014 crown?