Paris, France 8 June 2019 – The Minister of the Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says her government is embarked on a programme to provide greater support for and give better access to women and girls in sport.

Addressing the FIFA Women’s Football Convention in Paris, France on Friday, Minister Grange said the Government of Jamaica was “leading the way” in creating a more friendly environment for women in sport.

Minister Grange said:

“Women in sport do not get as much support [as men] and so women’s football has its challenge in Jamaica. However, the government leads the way in [providing greater access]. In introducing our various sports competitions at the primary and kindergarten school level, we’ve insisted that at least three girls must play on the team with the boys. So we’re institutionalising recognition and promoting of women in sport.”

Minister Grange also told the FIFA Convention that the government was working “very closely with the Jamaica Football Federation to ensure that the support is there for women’s football.”

Minister Grange is in France as a special guest of FIFA. She will attend the senior Jamaican team’s inaugural game at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday.

Minister Grange said the Reggae Girlz historic qualification to the Women’s World Cup had “created waves throughout the country and throughout the Jamaican Diaspora and the Caribbean. They are icons and we are extremely proud of them and they have served to inspire many young girls who now want to play football."

Recently, Minister Grange announced new rules for local sports federations to access funding from the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport (including the Sports Development Foundation). The rules require federations to give greater support to special olympians, paralympians, women and girls.

The Ministry, through the Institute of Sports, has also awarded equal prize money for girls and boys teams in its Primary Schools football and netball competitions.