The founder of a grassroots organization designed to increase girls鈥� and women鈥檚 participation in soccer at all levels of the game has been told to back off by the sport鈥檚 international governing body.
On Nov. 15, a week and a half before Canada hosted Mexico in a women鈥檚 friendly at B.C. Place, FIFA contacted Vancouver鈥檚 Carrie Serwetnyk and instructed her to 鈥渋mmediately cease all reference鈥� to the Women鈥檚 World Cup and any other FIFA trademarks to protect sponsors鈥� investments.
Serwetnyk, who played for Canada and was the first woman inducted into the country鈥檚 soccer hall of fame, launched in August 2012 to draw attention to the inequality for women in soccer despite the tremendous success and popularity of the women鈥檚 national team. In Canada and B.C., she points to a dearth of women in paid leadership and technical positions, a shortage of women on boards like that of the Canadian Soccer Association and even less pay for female national team players.
She leveraged the 2015 World Cup, which Canada will host in six cities, including Vancouver, as a 鈥渃atalyst for change.鈥�
She said she was not surprised by FIFA鈥檚 actions.
鈥淭he moment I started this campaign, it was kind of that feeling you could be throwing a ball in your backyard and the ball goes through the window and, from the start, you know you鈥檙e in trouble,鈥� she said Wednesday. 鈥淚 knew there were controversial aspects from the campaign that would ruffle some feathers.鈥�
Serwetnyk was hired two years ago by the Canadian Soccer Association and visited 33 Lower Mainland schools to promote the 2012 World Cup before the regional CONCACAF聽 tournament held in 麻豆传媒映画at B.C. Place. She later established her non-profit movement and knew it might come with a professional cost but believed the work is too important to abandon.
鈥淚 knew I was in trouble form the beginning,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew I was ruining my career by doing this. Of course I want to work for the World Cup, of course I love the game. But there was something so much stronger working inside me that I knew I had to bring up.鈥�
To comply with FIFA鈥檚 legal request, which is akin to the IOC鈥檚 territorial protection of its symbolic rings, Serwetnyk changed the name of a soccer camp and edited wording on her website. The powerful international soccer association did not ask her to change the name of her organization.
The CSA has also asked her to removed images of national team players from her website. Serwetnyk did not comply because she owned the pictures that were taken at CONCACAF, a tournament to which she had media access.
鈥淭hey put pressure on me to take photographs off my website. They didn鈥檛 want a picture of the national team running,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 celebratory. I鈥檝e left it on. It鈥檚 a beautiful photo.鈥�
Serwetnyk, an unmarried woman who was nonetheless identified as 鈥淢rs鈥� by FIFA, said the World Cup will be remembered in Canada for decades and make a lasting impact in growing the game.
She said her critics have tried to dismiss her.
鈥淏ecause I am bring up the challenges, it鈥檚 considered negative. But it is a little more negative for the girls and women [鈥 who are not getting their fair share of the fields or poorer times or those women who strive to higher aspects in their career after soccer in a field completely dominated by men.
鈥淚t sounds negative but really, of course, the World Cup is going to come and be an amazing event and a complete success. There are issues out there and the positive thing would be if we make changes and [鈥 give more empowerment to girls and women who are in the game.鈥�
Serwetnyk is raising money to support a number of initiatives for her campaign, including a documentary film and soccer camps.
To support the cause, Corrine Hunt, the artist who designed Vancouver鈥檚 2010 Olympic medals, created a necklace. "I support this campaign because soccer is good for everybody and equality and soccer is even better," said Hunt in a news release. Titled, Kiwkw, the silver necklace includes the image of an eagle on one side and a soccer ball on the other. Hunt鈥檚 motto for the necklace is "All is fair in the air.鈥�
