In honor of International Women’s Day (March 8) and Women’s History Month, Argentine club Boca Juniors announced its plan to create a sporting school for women and girls in situations of vulnerability.
The “Bombonerita” welcomed dozens of girls to a ceremony for the official announcement (held on March 8), presided over by Evelina Cabrera, president of the Asociación Femenina de Fútbol Argentina.
Cabrera highlighted the concept of sport for social change during the celebration, stating that the school will place emphasis on soccer training, “psychological support,” and talks that aim to provide tools for overcoming the obstacles and vices of the streets, empowering women in sports in the process.
It is quite striking that the news has largely failed to receive media attention at home or abroad, further accentuating the old boys’ club status quo that has come to characterize the soccer world (just last week, espnW Brazil gave us “Invisible Players,” a moving video feature that urges us to learn more about women’s power). Thankfully, grassroots movements are making an impact, whether we know about them or not.