The Swiss city of Geneva is setting up the country’s first fan zone for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in a bid to level the playing field and break down gender stereotypes.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ds
The four semi-final and final matches will be shown on a giant screen in July.
“The City of Geneva’s objective is to purge stereotypes in sport in order to allow everyone to practice the sport that suits them,” Mayor Sandrine Salerno told Swiss media on Tuesday.
More and more women play football in Switzerland. In 30 years, the number of female competition players has increased tenfold to 28,000 today, according to Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.
Carried out in partnership with the Geneva Cantonal Football Association, this innovative project is part of the “Gender and Sports” programme.
“It’s a prototype,” explained Salerno. “We will have to see how it works in order to eventually continue in the coming years.”
Due to a lack of human and financial resources, only the four semi-final and final games will be broadcast on July 2, 3, 6 and 7 at the Mont-Blanc rotunda, on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The space will be able to accommodate a thousand fans. Entertainment is also planned, such as a giant football table and small games with the participation of top players.
More women in sports
Sami Kanaan, in charge of sport, sasy this event is a strong symbolic act that could inspire young girls and women to play.
“Women’s football is changing fast and its financial value is increasing, which is a form of recognition,” he said.
Caroline Abbé, former captain of the Swiss team and member of the Swiss Football Association for the promotion of women’s football, agrees. “Let’s hope that this fan zone will further break the barrier of gender discrimination,” she said.
She recalls the taunts she endured when she started playing football 25 years ago, but her parents supported her choice.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
This content was published on
This season, women are allowed to race the whole way down the iconic Cresta Run toboggan track in Switzerland for the first time in 90 years.
Swiss Federal Court: Semenya free to run without medication until appeal heard
This content was published on
Swiss Federal Court has granted running champion Caster Semenya the right to compete without testosterone-reducing medication until appeal ruling.
Swiss football: punching above its weight or Europe’s punching bag?
This content was published on
As the Swiss national team goes from strength to strength, we dig into the numbers to explore the struggles of the domestic league.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.