International football’s governing body is implementing new measures designed to further support the wellbeing of players and coaches during pregnancy and after the birth of their children.
FIFA protocols grant players and coaches a minimum of 14 weeks of paid maternity leave and a minimum of eight weeks of paid leave for those who adopt a child under two years of age. There is also a minimum of eight weeks with pay for women who are not biological mothers of newborns.
While maternity leave was previously adopted in 2020, the new rules extend to coaches, non-birth mothers and adoptive mothers.
The protocol will come into force on Saturday. It was approved last month by the FIFA Council.
“I think it’s a great statement,” former U.S. coach Jill Ellis said in a statement Friday. “These are big steps and big strides to really normalize the life that we live as women… that’s what we want to provide now at every level, at the club level, at the national team level: the opportunity for professional female players to have the opportunity to be mothers.”
Ellis headed FIFA’s technical study for last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Additionally, the regulations allow clubs more freedom to add players outside the transfer window when they take or return from maternity and paternity leave.
It also provides for players to take paid time off from matches or training due to their menstrual health.
FIFA also encourages member associations to provide family-friendly environments for players with children.
“In the FIFA Women’s World Cup, (a player) can potentially be away from her family for five or six weeks… and that can have a hard impact on the player, mentally, but also on the minors,” said Sarai Bareman. , executive director of FIFA women’s football. “So, encouraging member associations to take action or allow mothers and fathers to have their children with them during the camp, during the tournament, is a really important step that will support not only the players but all the players of our sport.”
Source: With information from AP
