Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has embarked on a journey of addressing unfavorable cultural norms that are associated with women football in the country.

FAM Women’s Football Manager Blandina Mdebwe told the media on Tuesday in Kasungu that several initiatives have been lined up to end the unfavourable cultural norms.

Mdebwe said the establishment of under 14  and 16  Women’s Football Leagues in the country is one of them.

FAM Women’s Football Manager Blandina Mdebwe

She said: “We have launched this Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s Football Campaign in six districts, which symbolizes the beginning of under 14 and 16 Women’s Football Leagues."

She said that  most parents and guardians in the country demotivate girls to be playing football because of their beliefs that football is meant for men only which she said  is not true.

" The likes of Asimenye Simwaka, Linda Kasenda, Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga have showed us that Malawian girls are good at it and can be good at it, so we urge them to let go of those beliefs and let the girl child to play football," she said.

In her remarks Ambassador for Football Association of Malawi Women’s Football Linda Kasenda highlighted several benefits that are there in women’s football and urged more girls to join.

“I am  a good example of a girl who made it in life through football. My school fees was paid by government, I played professional football for sixteen years and later got a job all because of football,” she said.

Commenting on the development President of National Women’s Football Association Adelaide Migogo said she is impressed with how the country has  started in a course of popularising the game and also appealed to companies and other stakeholders to support the women football.

“The cooperate world should come in and support teams in under 14  and 16 Women’s Football Leagues which are the grassroots. We need to develop their talent together so that we can produce more professionals in the end," said Migogo.

The Football Association of Malawi has added Karonga, Kasungu and Zomba districts on the list of having under 14 and 16  Women’s Football Leagues on top of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu where the Leagues started last year.