Maidaan se manzil: Untold stories of rural female footballers in India

Each year the FARE Network organises the #FootballPeople weeks in October, the largest campaign for social change and diversity in global football. As part of the #FootballPeople weeks 2020, Pro Sport Development, in collaboration with Association for Social and Human Awareness (ASHA), Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti (MJAS), and Gaurav Gramin Mahila Vikas Manch (GGMVM), along with the Fare Network, collated stories of rural female football players across the three states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan in India. The stories were published in a magazine called Maidaan Se Manzil: Untold Stories of Rural Female Footballers. Maidaan Se Manzil translates, from Hindi to English, to “from the ground to your destination.”

PSD highlighted the stories of six young women from marginalised and disadvantaged backgrounds residing in rural India. They represent rural, young women across India who face issues of inequality and discrimination, and whose access to football remains a challenge, depriving them of their fundamental right to participate in sport. The stories of the six young women, Mamta, Dhoniya, Reena, Seema, Nisha and Shubham, highlight how, with the help of community-based organisations, they were able to participate in football, which has helped them to defy societal norms and gender stereotypes. Moreover, these young women have used football as a platform to become empowered individuals who can access future opportunities.

These female footballers and grassroot organisations from rural India personify the values of the #FootballPeople weeks, as they challenge discrimination and rigid social norms in their communities through football and promote inclusive values and practices. These young women are moving in the direction of empowerment through football. They have demystified the gender norms like ‘girls do not go out and play football,’ started making their own decisions and life choices, and sternly challenged the practice of child marriage and other social evils in their communities. In this magazine, PSD has highlighted the stories of these young women transforming into confident leaders, overcoming their struggles and achieving their dreams through football.

Read the stories of these six rural female football players here.