What you need to know
Injustices faced by women's footballers
Terminated contracts, remuneration, inconsistent health insurance, absence of basic worker protections and rights, and strains on their holistic health are amongst the pressures confronting women's players.
Levelling the playing field
Thanks to European Union funding through the Erasmus+ Programme and a collaboration with the University of Bordeaux, FIFPRO Europe are developing the tools and resources that are currently lacking to support player unions.
Partner & affilate unions
FIFPRO Europe are carrying out this project with seven partner unions (Cyprus, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia), and five affiliate unions (England, Greece, Scotland, Spain, Sweden).
Providing solutions
FIFPRO Europe will work together through capacity building and action research workshops with women's footballers to develop a three-part toolkit on sustaining player union work in women’s football – guiding players in social dialogue, and movement-building for social change.
ROGE25: Constructive dialogue enables unions to adapt toolkit to better support women’s players
European player associations gathered for online capacity building workshops to provide tailored feedback on the latest Raising Our Game Europe 2025 (ROGE25) framework ahead of player workshops taking place later this year.
FIFPRO ROGE25 Survey: Cluster Report
ROGE25: Project’s first data findings on improving standards in women’s football presented to participating unions
FIFPRO Europe are carrying out the project with seven partner unions (Cyprus, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia), and five affiliate unions (England, Greece, Scotland, Spain, Sweden).
“ROGE25 gives us a chance to focus on the unique needs of women's players and provide our unions the best possible tools for representation and effective social dialogue. Impactful change requires this full understanding for the continued progress of the professional game in a way that's sustainable”
— by Director of Global Policy & Strategic Relations Sarah Gregorius
Claudia van den Heiligenberg: "We need to secure basic rights for women’s players"
Former AZ, Ajax and Bayern Munich player Claudia van den Heiligenberg made 97 appearances for the Netherlands. She now works for Dutch player union VVCS and recently took on the role of project coordinator for Raising Our Game Europe 2025, which is financially supported by the European Union as part of its Erasmus+ Programme.
“We are thankful that the EU underlines the value of this project by providing us with a grant, and we will do everything in our power to make ROGE25 a success”
— by Project Coordinator Claudia van den Heiligenberg
ROGE25: Empowering initiative highlighted at Women’s Football Summit
Co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme and done in collaboration with the University of Bordeaux, ROGE25 is designed to develop tools and resources to support player associations with promoting equal opportunities, access, and inclusion for women’s players.
“It is our hope that women's footballers, athletes and player unions across the EU will be able to draw on the resources and momentum developed in this project”
— by FIFPRO Europe General Secretary Joachim Walltin
