It was the first nation in the world a bit and at 34-year-old Sanna Marin, it’s the world sitting prime minister.
In a second step towards equality, the Football Association of Finland is renaming its very best women’s division to eliminate the word”women.”
Formerly called the”Women’s League,” from the start of the upcoming season, the maximum level of competitive football for girls will be known as Kansallinen Liiga (National League).
“It is not uncommon within the sports community to speak about sports and women’s sports as if the latter would be less worthy when this of course is not the case,” said Heidi Pihlaja, head of women’s football development for the Football Association of Finland.
“Football is football — no matter who kicks the soccer ball. Some may see altering the title as insignificant but actually it is a powerful statement that symbolizes a bigger cultural change within the sports community and our culture.”
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Another step
This is not the step the soccer authorities have taken to become a game.
Last year, it announced equal pay for both men and women players that compete for the national groups that were .
“Last summer the FIFA Women’s World Cup demonstrated that people do not base their curiosity about football on the sex of their gamers,” said Ari Lahti, president of the Football Association of Finland.
“Folks come to the games to determine high athletes play quality football. That’s why women’s soccer should be treated equally with men’s soccer.”
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It is the norm for the soccer leagues of women to reference women in the title.
In England, the top-tier of women’s soccer is known as the”Women’s Super League,” while Germany’s top branch is known as the”Frauen-Bundesliga.”
With the support of its new sponsor Subway and redefined aims of”equality, both the courage to serve as a role model” to 2020-23, the Finnish football community is hoping to be the catalyst for change elsewhere.
And though Lahti admits they’ve come a long way, the 56-year-old knows there is more to do and expects that they can set a precedent for others.
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“penalizing full equality in athletics nevertheless demands a ton of hard work,” he said. “Our sincere wish is that other leagues both in Finland and globally may follow our lead.
“We hope to be a leader of equality in the eyes of the whole sports community.”