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International Women’s Day
- Fatma Samoura is FIFA General Secretary
- She is the first Muslim, African and woman to hold this influential position
- Samoura spoke to us on International Women’s Day and gave her the message #ChooseToChallenge
Fatma Samoura has spent 21 years working on high level United Nations (UN) programs in Italy, Republic of Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Niger, Madagascar, Nigeria, Central America and in Central and West Asia before joining FIFA in May 2016.
As the first Muslim, African and female to serve as FIFA Secretary General, she is a pioneer of diversity and gender equality.
Since her appointment to FIFA, the number of women employed by the organization has increased in all areas, including in management positions. She was instrumental in the success of the record breaking FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 and the highly successful eighth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
Fatma Samoura is committed to using the unique power of football to support, encourage and empower people around the world. International Women’s Day aims to celebrate the achievements of women around the world.
Which women have inspired or motivated you the most?
The women who have inspired and motivated me in my life have been the female leaders of my family: my mother and my grandmother. They were very different women, living in different eras, but each were deeply attached to our family and ensuring that each reached their full potential.
My grandmother was widowed at a very young age and refused to follow the custom of remarrying a person chosen by her family. Instead, she focused on caring for her ten children and making sure they received a proper education.
My father was an army official and was rarely home, so my mother put all of her energy into ensuring a better life and career for her nine children.
Their commitment, dedication, encouragement and teachings have helped me become the person I am today and I am extremely grateful for the values of independence, tenacity and self-sacrifice they instilled in me. from an early age in Senegal.
As one of football’s top officials, how do you approach your role as FIFA Secretary General and as the main voice to inspire women and girls around the world?
I would say that first of all, I am very privileged and honored to have girls and women watching me. It is also a huge honor and privilege to serve as FIFA Secretary General and to be the most senior woman in FIFA and football. However, I am aware of the enormous responsibility this places on me as a representative of women, which I take very seriously.
I recognize that being the first African woman to hold this position at FIFA is a game changer and I want to inspire other women with my actions. I try to use my voice when and where it’s appropriate to support important causes and people in need.
Before joining FIFA, I had worked for 21 years in the humanitarian field and had seen the best and the worst of humanity. I had traveled a lot and experienced things that I will never forget, for better or for worse, but I had also seen the power of football to unite inspire and empower people, especially women.
When I was approached by the FIFA President to join the organization in 2016, I felt that FIFA was at a turning point in its history on many levels and as the first woman to take on the role of General Secretary. , I could really make a difference.
You’ve been in athletic leadership for quite some time now. What are some of the core values that any leader in sport or other industries should know?
I think leaders in all fields should know that setting an example is extremely important and that you can’t get the best out of people if you don’t give your best. You have to stay engaged, even if it is not always easy, and be ready to guide people through the difficult times as well as to celebrate the big ones!
Be humble and be able to interact with people regardless of their social or professional status. Remember that your family and friends are as important as the job. Nurture these relationships and you will bring renewed energy and enthusiasm into your professional life.
FIFA has taken several important steps to develop women in football in recent years. For you, what have been the most significant steps for FIFA in this area? What steps is FIFA taking to encourage diversity and inclusion, and to end discrimination, in football?
Gender equality, diversity and inclusion, women’s football and the development of women in leadership positions are all key areas for FIFA and we take them seriously.
Indeed, one of our main goals is to work with a wide range of organizations, both in sport and in society at large, to ensure that football, the most popular sport in the world, can show the best. a path of diversity, anti-discrimination and respect.
Following the exceptional success of France 2019 and the incredible platform created to inspire women and girls around the world, FIFA has gone even further and achieved a number of important steps in the past 12 months, further emphasizing our commitment to the development of women and the female game, on and off the pitch.
In addition to launching the Women’s Development Agenda and adopting landmark maternity reforms to protect female players, FIFA is also providing USD 500,000 to each member association as part of the COVID-19 relief plan to specifically support the women’s football against the financial impacts of the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on football cannot be underestimated and this support will go a long way in ensuring that we can continue France 2019’s momentum towards the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
In addition, FIFA also continues to lead a wide range of initiatives across different divisions including women’s football, the FIFA Foundation as well as development programs led by our Member Associations division to support women. All this is in addition to the investment of USD 1 billion to develop women’s football budgeted for 2019-2022.
In terms of FIFA staff, out of 63 nationalities we are 42 percent female and 58 percent male, so positive steps are being taken here.
We also run various initiatives to support the professional development of staff, including the FIFA Women’s Network, a family network as well as informal mentoring.
Finally, the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge. What advice or message would you send to football and to women and girls around the world?
Remember in the age of social media that comparison is a thief of joy – never compare yourself to anyone because there is no one like you!
Instead, remember that the more you learn, the more you choose to challenge yourself, the more you become innovative, adaptive, and engaged in something, the brighter and more the future looks for us all!
My other advice to women and girls is also to know what you want and go for it! Have a plan and stick to it. Become the best in your field, be confident and proud. Believe in yourself. And above all, dream and DREAM BIG!
This article is part of our Women’s Football and Women in Football series to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021. Find out more about FIFA’s women’s football development strategy and programs, and read other items like this, Click here.
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