FIFA Approves 14-Week Maternity Leave For Women Football Players

Football governing body FIFA on Friday approved a landmark decision, granting 14 weeks maternity leave to women footballers. Along with mandatory 14-week leave, every player will be provided with necessary "adequate ongoing medical support" from her club and it will be under an "obligation to reintegrate her" into football, at least eight weeks after childbirth. "If we are serious about boosting the women's game, we have to look at all these aspects," said FIFA, president Gianni Infantino in a video tweeted on the governing body's Twitter handle. "Female players need to have stability in their careers and if they take maternity leave, they should not have to worry about when they are ready to play again," he added.

💪🦸‍♀️ The FIFA Council passed landmark reforms today to better protect female players and football coaches

🎙 Here's FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the details

— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) December 4, 2020

"The players are the protagonist of the game, they are the most important part of the game and we have to make sure that we set the stage for them to shine. When it comes to female players, we should bring more stability to their careers," Infantino added.

Last month, FIFA announced that it aims to create “new global minimum standards” for female players all over the world. It also proposes a minimum of two-thirds of their contracted salary, with Infantino saying that "no female player should ever suffer a disadvantage of any sort on the basis of her pregnancy."

"Coaches develop how we play and inspire the players," he said adding that they too need job security, and according to the new rules "we have established minimum standards to protect them." Although it's rare, setting an example, US World Cup-winning star Alex Morgan, 31, gave birth in May this year and has since returned to the sport, signing for English club Tottenham Hotspur.

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In November, when the news about FIFA's plan to approve maternity leave for women was reported, Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer said, “As we try to accelerate the professionalisation of the women’s game, which is one of our strategic objectives, it is really important that we evolve and adapt the regulatory framework around the game at the same time. This is a very good example."

Feature Image Credit: english.kalerkantho.com

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