DUBAI: Volkswagen Middle East has rolled out a regional version of its global “#NotWomensFootbal” campaign, which aims to empower women in the sport and demonstrate support for increased diversity and equal opportunities.
The global #NotWomensFootball campaign debunks the stereotypes associated with women’s football, highlighting that both women and men play the sport equally.
The regional version will carry the same message and will be rolled out across all digital and social media channels.
“We are very excited about launching a regional adaptation to the global #NotWomensFootball campaign that launched earlier this year with the UEFA Women’s Championship, at a relevant time in the Middle East,” said Anja Petrovski, marketing and PR director for Volkswagen Middle East.
The campaign focuses on the common use of the term “women’s football” to describe matches played by female teams. The addition of the word “women’s” to describe the sport gives the impression that it is an inferior or different type of football, while men’s matches are simply referred to as “football.”
The campaign also highlights how much women contribute to the sport around the world, using the footballers of the football club VfL Wolfsburg over the years as an example and includes German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) players Alexandra Popp, Svenja Huth and Nicole Ayomi.
Regionally, the campaign will engage women on social media by encouraging them to show their juggling skills using the hashtag #NotWomensJuggling. The brand will also run a series of polls debunking myths about women’s football, such as rule changes or smaller pitches.
As part of the initiative, Volkswagen also sponsored the Future Leaders in Football Summit — Female Edition which took place in Jordan and Qatar. The educational program, in partnership with the German Football Association, aims to support young leaders already involved in different roles in the sport and to promote a sustainable and diverse future for football.
A total of 22 young women from across the MENA region participated in the five-day workshop, which includes hands-on sessions both on and off the pitch, with several lectures by inspirational figures.
The campaign is part of the brand’s social commitment to diversity and inclusion for a sustainable future, said Petrovski.
