A huge honor for Cypriot football and at the same time, an important message to the Cypriot state and society, regarding the much-praised issue of gender equality in sports, is the promotion of the National Women's Football Team as the winner of the very important prize “FIFPRO Merit Awards 2020”!
The announcement of the victory of the candidacy of our National women's team, took place on Thursday, February 18, 2021, in the context of the annual FIFPRO World Congress, which this year is held online due to the pandemic!
The Merit Awards are – along with the FIFA FIFPro World XI Awards, for the world's top eleven – the most important awards of the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO).
Since 2008, FIFPRO honors a footballer or team, who has contributed to a charitable cause with the Merit Award. As of this year, FIFPRO has decided to extend this Award to three different categories: PLAYER IMPACT (players who contribute to charity), PLAYER VOICE (players who raise their voices for labor law) and PLAYER ACTIVISM (players who social change).
The causal
The winners in the “Player Voice” category were the Cyprus Women's National Team, on the occasion of its action at the end of 2019, in the away match against Finland. Specifically, as FIFPRO noted in its statement: “The national women's team of Cyprus fights for gender equality in football. Ahead of a 2019 international match against Finland, they demanded the same working conditions as the players of the men's national team, including training facilities, daily allowances and equipment. They used social media to protest and started a national debate, which ended in talks between PA.SP. and the Cypriot Parliament on the creation of legislation on gender equality in sport. “They risked their careers, but they stood their ground and with their actions, they fought for a better future for all footballers.”
During the Congress, a video was shown with the four leaders of our national team, Loukritia Chrysostomou, Christiana Solomou, Andri Violari and Maria Ioannou, accepting the award, after thanking FIFPRO for the honor and emphasizing the importance of this distinction, in striving for gender equality in sport. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/zi5TPqWt_OQ
The executive president of PASP, Mr. Spyros Neophitidis, stated: “We are extremely proud of this great distinction of our players. As PASP, we warmly congratulate them! The war they suffered last year, because of their action, was unprecedented, but the benefits of their energy are manifold. “Last year, a public debate was started by MPs and by the society and the problem that exists in the Cypriot sport, in terms of gender equality, became known”.
The winners
The following international players were included in the nomination, who are also the winners of the “Merit Awards 2020”: Christiana Solomou, Konstantina Pafiti, Fotini Andronikou, Elena Taka, Filippa Savva, Victoria Zampa, Maria Ioanou, Ko Ioannou Georgia Xenofontos, Maria Xenofontos, Andria Michail, Eleni Giannou, Loukritia Chrysostomou, Maria Mattheou, Chara Charalambous, Ivana Taneva, Elina Panagiotou, Marinella Panagiotou, Sara Papadopoulou, Rafaela Antoniou, Starafou Antonou were Xenia Georgiou and Andri Violari.
Rashford and Moreno
As for the other two categories of the Merit Awards, Javiera Moreno won in the “Player Activism” category, for her action in eliminating sexual abuse, harassment, discrimination and abuse by women's football.
And Marcus Rashford prevailed in the “Player Impact” category, after ensuring that children across the UK would continue to receive free school meals. FIFPRO also awarded special recognition, named FIFPRO Hero, to Aidana Otorbaeva, who risked her life to help other people fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
All winners were selected by a special committee of FIFPRO.
