Creating access for women to administrative posts of national associations (Sports structure, committees, councils, educating women for management posts in football)

It is a great honour for me to be invited to the 2nd Symposium for women's Football organised by FIFA. As a woman and President of a national association, 1 am very touched to have been requested to speak to an assembly of the highest officiais responsible for world football, which you represent, on the subject of creating access for women to administrative posts in national associations.

The role of the woman in the administration of a sports associations is, to me, very important so 1 shall talk to you about my own experience.

In French Polynesia, the woman has a leading role to play in society. Her rale is recognised and symbolised through her presence in all spheres of daily life.

As regards football, women aiready occupy functions as the President of associations or football sections, as the secretary or treasurer of clubs; but it was indeed a historic first to have a woman, a female President, at the helm of the Tahitian football association.

Tahitian football, even though only a member of FIFA since June 1990, has played a pioneering part with regard to the involvement of women in the administration of a national association.

This responsibility, which 1 assumed on 19 September 1998, is particularly formidable because it covers an area as vast as that of Europe, even though isolated in the middle of the huge Pacific, and accounting for 12,000 registered players.

This responsibility, which also includes the entrance of Tahitian football into the 20th century is ail the more arduous because, as a woman President, 1 have to prove that a woman can succeed in an domain which, by tradition, has been dominated by men.

How did 1 reach the helm of a football association?

In January 1995, 1 was requested by the members of a men's football association to assume the presidency of a club.

As a woman who was active in society and having lived in the football world for at least ten years (my husband had been a footballer and President of a club) as weil as a benefactor, 1 was elected President of the RONIU sports association (in Tahiti), a position which 1 still hold.

My working relations with the members of the association are excellent. 1 am fairly authoritarian but understanding at the same time, and very close to ail of the members. And my personality commands respect.

During the reconstitution of the Federal Council of the Tahitian football association in May 1997, 1 entered the Council comprising 24 mainly male members.

For a Polynesian woman, it is a privilege to be a member of the Federai Council and 1 can assure you that 1 was very honoured to have been appointed President of the Federai Women's Football Committee from 1997 to 1998. It is a committee composed only of women (lady president of the association, of the football section, secretary etc.)

1 also assumed the vice-presidency of the Federai Youth Committee.

When the then President, Mr Reynald Temarii, stepped down from the Tahitian football association to take over other responsibilities, 1 was proposed by the Federal Council to succeed him and was subsequently elected by the Federal Assembly on 19 September 1998.

This appointment caused quite a few ripples in the world of football, normally the exclusive preserve of men. Some presidents of other associations were unable to bring themselves to admit that a woman managed the Tahitian football association - the leading sport in the region.

And that is perfectly normal because the fate of football in Polynesia has always been steered by a man.

1 can assure you that my arrivai at the top of the Tahitian football association was an innovation in the Polynesian football world.

Nowadays, my integration has now been accepted by everyone and my presence has tempered the attitude of some members of the Federal Council.

1 have very good relations with the administrative and technical staff at the Tahitian football association, and the members of the Federal Council and various football associations.

This appointment has also had repercussions on my family life. But 1 made the choice with the full approval of my family. So 1 am a wife and mother, occupying posts in the Government of the region. There are some constraints which my family is obliged to accept. Nowadays, my life is reasonably divided between my family, my work and the administration of the Tahitian football association.

But 1 have to admit that all of my free time is taken up by football.

If a woman likes the idea, and is given the opportunity, of taking over the administration of a national association, she must not hesitate. For her ambitions to succeed, she must have the full backing of her family because it is more difficult for a woman to take on a managerial position in football than a man. Despite these restrictions, brought about by the family or other circumstances, the woman should be free to act to prove her abilities in the administration of an association.

This is crucial to her life in a sports environment. For myself, 1 can say that 1 do not regret having accepted the position of President.

1 have a huge responsibility at present but it is, at the same time, a very enriching experience which 1 enjoy every day. In the day-to-day management of the association's affairs, 1 have encountered difficulties caused by a lack of training and a structure deficient in quality and quantity.

In July 1998, a second woman joined the Federal Council, Mrs Thérésa Mrmouyet, who is also here today.

As a managerial member of the women's football section, she was also elected deputy chairman of the Federal Women's Committee for the 1997-98 season, and now she has become a member of the Federal Office as Deputy General Secretary. She is taking part in this symposium as a representative of womens football in Tahiti.

So now there are two women working on the Federal Council. Having myself been Chairman of the Women's Football Committee and as President of the Tahitian football association, 1 shall do my utmost to promote women's football even more.

1 am relying on my colleague, Mrs Thérésa Marmouyet, to ensure that women's football goes from strength to strength and that, in this way, other women will be allowed access to administrative posts in associations.

As you can see, today in French Polynesia, women are already involved in managerial bodies in football organisations. What many of these women lack is training for the job. In the training programmes which we shail be conducting with the financial aid received from FIFA, women as well as men will be given training (administrative, technical etc.). So far, there has been no female manager (coach) on the technical side of our association. But we have plans to train women coaches and we are relying on support from the Oceania confederation to realise this training programme.

In conclusion, 1 would like to say that women are ready to play their part in modern society and, as we can see looking around us today, women are exercising the same functions as men.