•For women's football to advance at the amateur and professional levels, authorities must provide a conducive environment.
•Various stakeholders must work together and form partnerships to promote women's football. Governments, leagues, sponsors, and the media all fall under this category.
Image: HANDOUT
The Kenya Under-17 national football team's success attests to the fact that, given the right conditions, the women's game can flourish.
Thanks to their efforts, Kenya will have a representative at the World Cup for the first time. The gallant Kenyan girls will fly the nation's flag in the premier quadrennial global showpiece in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3.
The Junior Starlets will gain valuable experience playing against elite opponents worldwide which will help them develop their skills and advance their careers.
The team's success represents a noteworthy turning point and this illustrates the potential for women's football in Kenya to flourish. We can't afford to rest on our laurels now.
For women's football to advance at the amateur and professional levels, authorities must provide a conducive environment.
Various stakeholders must work together and form partnerships to promote women's football. Governments, leagues, sponsors and the media all fall under this category.
Together, we can develop a thorough blueprint to promote the development of women's football. Putting effective structures in place will open doors for a better future.
We can build a vibrant environment for women's football by making infrastructural investments, organising competitive leagues and tournaments, promoting grassroots development, interacting with the media and offering guidance and assistance.
Women's football can flourish and give opportunities to female athletes if we invest in different initiatives and foster a positive environment. As a nation that prioritises equal opportunities and gender equality, we can do a great deal to advance women's football.
One way is to guarantee equitable access to adequate infrastructure and amenities for women. This entails giving teams proper training grounds.
We can draw in more skilled players and give them a bigger platform to display their abilities at the grassroots.
Creating competitive leagues and tournaments is essential. These platforms allow the players to compete against other teams and display their skills.
Putting money into local development is the first step in promoting women's football. Well-structured league games and tournaments will help the sport develop, draw sponsors and give players a way to support themselves.
School and community programmes can all help foster talent development. Most Junior Starlets players were identified during the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) ball games.
We also need to establish a consistent framework to train coaches handling women's teams. We can inspire the next generation of female athletes by offering coaching, skill development and participation incentives.
The country has gained huge traction in promoting female coaches and steering them to the desired heights.
We already have the likes of Kenya Police Bullets' head coach Beldine Odemba, Talanta's Jackline Juma and Junior Starlets' head coach Mildred Cheche who are doing extremely well.
The media can also play a big role in promoting women's football. It is essential to connect with a larger audience through media outlets.
This includes match coverage, player and team feature stories and a specific section in newspapers and magazines devoted to women's football.
Raising the sport's profile and public awareness will help us attract more participants, sponsors and media coverage.
Training courses, seminars, and workshops on gender equality, leadership and sports management can help achieve this. Doing so will cultivate an environment that is more inclusive and empowered.
Let us turn women's football into a widely embraced and appreciated sport.