Girls and coaches at the Za'atari refugee camp take centre stage on International Women's Day 

11th March 2020 - In celebration of International Women's Day, LaLiga wanted to pay tribute to all the girls and female coaches that take part in the LaLiga | Za'atari Social Project, which was put in place by the department for sporting projects and the LaLiga FOUNDATION, with the collaboration of the AFDP Global (Asian Football Development Project), which aims to improve young refugees' quality of life by using football as a tool to transmit the positive values found in sport.

Women and girls were able to enjoy a very special and enriching experience through different activities, games and football matches, as well as visits from some local organisations, with the aim of promoting equal rights and opportunities between men and women.

LaLiga coaches Izzat Jandali and Javier Garcia, who have been at the Za'atari refugee camp for 15 months, discussed the impact that these types of initiatives can have on the participants. "We wanted this weekend to be all about them and for them to feel like the key figures in a bid to keep working on boosting their confidence and self-esteem, as well as their sporting ability and knowledge."

Since the LaLiga coaches arrived at the Za'atari refugee camp, a plan of action has been implemented to break down barriers and promote gender equality. Specific training sessions for female coaches and referees, as well as training for girls, have generated women's team sign-ups in the LaLiga Za'atari competition, which now has 16 teams in it, just like the Liga Iberdrola.

The huge motivation and responsibility of the participants in the project over recent months has generated a real change in the lives of these women and girls and is the embodiment of excitement and hope for them all.