The CAFE team was proud to see our Managing Director, Joyce Cook OBE, graduate from UEFA’s Women in Football Leadership Programme.

The programme was first launched by UEFA in 2013, and was created out of feedback gathered at the women’s football development workshop staged during UEFA Women’s EURO 2013.

The specific aim of the programme is to introduce more women into leadership roles at European national associations, and to establish a lasting network of female leaders. Many women already in leadership positions within football were offered additional support in their existing roles, and it was a huge honour for Joyce to be invited onto the scheme for the second course.

Karen Espelund is the Chairwoman of UEFA’s Women’s Football Committee and the only female full member of the UEFA Executive Committee. At the launch of the programme, she said, “Equality and integration are both essential to the development of the football workforce. Football has come a long way over the last few years, but there is still an evident lack of women in top-level positions. More needs to be done to change perspectives and increase opportunities”.

Karen added, “The UEFA women's leadership programme… has adopted an innovative approach by locating and developing potential female executives from the 54 member associations and helping them climb up the ladder of promotion”.

Speaking on her graduation, Joyce, who is also a Director of Women in Football in the UK, said, “I feel extraordinarily privileged to be a UEFA WFLP graduate. UEFA has shown me that they value women and are serious about change. Thank you”

Everyone at CAFE would like to congratulate Joyce on her graduation and offer our best wishes to all of the programme participants.

To find out more about the UEFA Women in Football Leadership programme, please visit http://www.uefa.com/women/news/newsid=2051593.html.