• #NotWomensFootball is a global campaign launched in line with the 2022 UEFA Women’s Championship, focused on the Brand’s aim to demonstrate support for increased diversity and equal opportunities in the sport
  • Volkswagen is the proud sponsor of the female only Future Leaders in Football Summit that took place in Jordan in March and in Qatar in October 2022

United Arab Emirates – Volkswagen Middle East amplifies its #NotWomensFootball campaign with the aim to empower women in the sport and demonstrate support for increased diversity and equal opportunities. The global #NotWomensFootball campaign debunks the stereotypes associated with women’s football, highlighting that both women and men play the sport equally and will be rolled out across the Middle East with a series of digital and social media content. Alongside its sponsorship of the sport and the campaign, Volkswagen is also the proud sponsor of the  Future Leaders in Football Summit - Female Edition), an educational program dedicated to support young leaders involved in different roles in football.

#NotWomensFootball campaign focuses on the common use of the term “women’s football” to describe matches played by female teams and by adding the word “women’s” to describe it, gives the impression that it is an inferior or different type of football, while men’s matches are simply referred to as “football” without any additional specifications. The connotation also suggests the perceived perception of “women’s football” which are not correct as both genders play the sport equally.

The campaign also highlights how much women contribute to the sport around the world, using the footballers of VfL Wolfsburg as a key figurehead for German football over the years as an example and includes German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) players Alexandra Popp, Svenja Huth and Nicole Ayomi. Regionally the campaign will engage females on social media by encouraging them to show their juggling skills using the hashtag #NotWomensJuggling. Content will also include a series of polls debunking myths about women’s football such as rule changes or smaller pitches.

Alongside the campaign, Volkswagen was also the proud sponsor of the Future Leaders in Football Summit – Female Edition that took place in Jordan in March and the Qatari edition which wraps up in Doha today. The educational program, in partnership with the German Football Association, aims to support young leaders already involved in different roles in the sport and to promote a sustainable and diverse future for football. A total of 22 young women from across the Middle East and North Africa have participated in the five-day workshop, that includes hands-on sessions both on and off the pitch with several lectures by inspirational figures.

“We are very excited about launching a regional adaptation to the global #NotWomensFootball campaign that launched earlier this year with the UEFA Women’s Championship, at a relevant time in the Middle East. Globally we are committed to diversity and inclusion for a sustainable future, and we are proud to drive change with this campaign,” commented Anja Petrovski, Marketing & PR Director for Volkswagen Middle East.

The campaign is part of the Brand’s social commitment to diversity and underpins its values and corporate culture.

To find out more about #NotWomensFootball, follow @volkswagenme or visit the site www.volkswagen-me.com.

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About the Volkswagen brand: 

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is present in more than 150 markets worldwide and produces vehicles at more than 30 locations in 13 countries. In 2021, Volkswagen delivered around 4.9 million vehicles. These include bestsellers such as the Polo, T-Roc, Golf, Tiguan or Passat as well as the successful all-electric models ID.3 and ID.4. Last year, the company handed over more than 260,000 battery electric vehicles (BEV) to customers worldwide, more than ever before. Around 184,000 people currently work at Volkswagen worldwide. In addition, there are more than 10,000 trading companies and service partners with 86,000 employees. With its ACCELERATE strategy, Volkswagen is consistently advancing its further development into a software-oriented mobility provider.