With the advent of women’s suffrage in the 18th century equality has been commonplace in the developing world.

Indeed, women in countries such as the United States, Australia and much of Europe have scaled the walls of discrimination and by virtue of their performances have banished any lingering doubt about their value to humanity. Since then, the status of women has improved by leaps and bounds. They have shone in academia, politics, the arts and other areas on par with their male counterparts.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for sports, in particular football. The beautiful game is the most popular sport in the world, but the earnings derived and representation in the administration of the sport, have tipped the scale towards males.

In Confederations such as CONCACAF, home to associations like the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), there are a few issues of disparity that though obvious, are not being addressed. Here, female football struggles with the triple burdens of a lack of support, funding, and development. Among the reasons for this state are gender bias, poor organisational structure, a lack of visibility, infrastructure and sponsorship.

Despite the current state of women’s football in Jamaica, there is a remarkable spirit of enthusiasm and commitment world-wide, as football is currently the fastest growing female sport. According to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football’s governing body; participation in women’s football has more than doubled since the year 2000.

This led FIFA’s president Joseph S Blatter to say “the future of football is feminine”. So profound is FIFA’s belief that their projection stated that participation in women’s football would have surpassed that of the males in 2010.

At present women’s football boasts 132 participating nations with upwards of 26 million women and girls playing world-wide. These figures show an ever increasing growth at twice the rate of the male sport. What this alludes to is that women’s football is one of, if not the most fertile markets for investment.

Sherwin Williams West Indies Limited for 10 years has been the only company in Jamaica to have made not only a tangible investment in Jamaica’s women’s football programme, but also an indelible mark on the lives of thousands of young women playing the sport. In 2001 Sherwin Williams became the sole sponsor of then dying JFF Women’s Football League which for years had been stymied by a lack of interest and support.

With the inconsistency and absence of a senior national women’s programme, the Sherwin Williams Women’s League (SWL) has acted as an incubator for talented young women making the transition from the high schoolgirls’ league. Since its inception in 1998 the schoolgirls’ league, as it is called, had seen incredible growth, with an 86 per cent increase in participating teams over 10 years. This increase has created an influx of players who needed a transitional and developmental medium which would then feed the national programme. Sherwin Williams provided this medium for which the JFF and women’s football are indebted.

Since 2001, Sherwin Williams has managed to keep the women’s league afloat with an ever increasing allotment of funds. As a result, Jamaica now boasts a proliferation of talented young women, who have honed their football skills at home and abroad, making it possible for the JFF to produce a world-class national team.

It is my submission that the only difference between Jamaica and the rest of the world is this proliferation of athletic talent and the prevailing sporting culture which facilitates the ready involvement of females in football and other sporting activities. Thanks to Sherwin Williams, Jamaica now has a reservoir of talented female footballers who are ready to join the rest of the world in making their contribution to the beautiful game.

What holds them back, however, is the lack of vision and interest towards female football by the JFF hierarchy, as well as the wider society.

We need to take women’s football more seriously and invest in it, as not only is it a sport, but also a tool of social intervention that helps to mitigate socio-economic problems that mar Jamaica. Indeed, football for many young women provides a medium of expression, socialisation, education, productivity and well being. It helps to lessen sedentary lifestyle practices, pathologies and teenage pregnancy which give rise to depression, lower education levels, unemployment, higher rates of poverty and ultimately, crime.

It is interesting to note that in addition to developing the sport, Sherwin Williams has assisted individual players with scholarships, skills training and job placement opportunities. Therefore, it is fair to say that with Sherwin Williams the Women’s Football League and Jamaican women footballers can be assured of a brighter future

Congratulations to the Managing Director Ian Forbes and Sherwin Williams WI Ltd for promoting gender equality in sports by developing and serving Jamaica’s women footballers for 10 years.

Your superior corporate citizenship exemplifies the vision and unconditional benevolence that are missing from our country today.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN JAMAICA

o 1974 — Jamaican born Beverly Ranger popularises women’s football in Germany

o 1975 — Beverly Ranger becomes the first Jamaican professional female footballer

o Nets Goal of the Month

o Becomes first woman to be endorsed by Puma

o 1964 — Organised women’s football begins with two teams (Santos A & B coached by Winston Chu — Boys’ Town Wildcats, Tivoli Gardens and Harbour View women’s teams battle in triangular league

o Andrea Lewis becomes first female footballer to receive US scholarship

o 1980 — Jamaica Women’s Football Association (JWFA) formed by Andrea Lewis

o 1990 — Inaugural KSAFA Women’s Major League with six participating teams

o 1991 — Women’s Business House competition started by Jean Nelson et al

o April 17, 1991– Jamaica’s first international game (Haiti vs Jamaica)

o 1998 — Inaugural high school girls’ league with eight participating teams

o 1999 — Jamaica’s first official national women’s camp takes place at GC Foster (coached by Neville Bell)

o 2001 — Sherwin William sponsors dying Women’s Football League

o 2002 — Tanisha Francis sets US NAIA Record (43 goals in 17 games) and is featured in Sports Illustrated

o 2006 — Jamaica place 4th in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers

o 2008 — High school girls’ league has record 50 teams with well over 3,000 participants

o 2009 — Alicia Wilson goes pro in KR Icelandic League

o 2011 — Omolyn Davis goes pro in US WSL

o 2011 — Sherwin Williams celebrates 10th year of support for women’s league with 11 participating teams

o 2011 — Jamaica remains unranked in the FIFA World Ranking due to inactivity for more than three years