FIFA says that more than 30 million women play organized football "around the world," according to Steve Keating of REUTERS. Only one "has only ever been elected to a full term" on world football's all-powerful exec committee. With the Swiss-based body "currently mired in a corruption and bribery scandal, gender equality looks to be in danger of falling even further down its priorities." FIFA Deputy Dir of the Competitions Division & Head of Women’s Football Tatjana Haenni said, "It is about time to have more women involved in all areas, whatever it is -- politics, government, business and sports organization. Football seems to be one of the more difficult ones. ... Personally, I think we should have more women in decision-making positions." Burundi’s Lydia Nsekera "sits alone as a female full member of the ExCo" -- the only woman in the 111-year history of the organization to attain that post. Nsekera's presence "accounts for only four percent of the FIFA executive board, a strikingly low figure even taking into account gender inequality in areas like politics and business." Germany "recently passed a law requiring the country's top companies to have at least 30 percent women on their boards." According to Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women & Sport Exec Dir Karin Lofstrom, FIFA "has in fact fallen behind more progressive sports in terms of appointing women to the highest levels of the organisation." She said, "The IOC has been pushing for a standard of 20 percent, for international federations across the board they are about 17 percent average, according to the last stats" (REUTERS, 6/16).
IRAN'S PLEDGE: In London, Saeed Kamali Dehghan wrote the Int'l Volleyball Federation (FIVB) said that "it has received assurances from Iran that women will be allowed to attend a world league match in Tehran on Friday amid concerns that the country might backtrack at the last minute." Women’s rights activists complained that "Iran appeared to be retreating from an earlier decision to ease restrictions on female attendance due to increasing pressure from hardliners." Hope that the longstanding ban could be eventually overturned "is left hanging in the air with various officials expressing conflicting statements." FIVB said that "it was monitoring the situation closely." It "remains to be seen whether it would intervene to stop the events should it become clear that Tehran will not sell tickets to women" (GUARDIAN, 6/16).
