East Coast Bays Football Club is dedicated to making football more accessible and attractive to girls and women. Over the last few years we have refocussed efforts, creating new junior girls programs and better supporting our youth and women’s teams. In 2023 ECB joined with Northern Region Football and eight other Auckland clubs in signing the Gender Equity Charter. This indicates our continuing commitment and proactivity to create club structures and programs to improve our offering for all female players and creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

ECB has established a Women and Girls Committee, a core group of passionate people tasked with making a difference in this space. After extensive consultation over the past few months with women and girls leaders at Harbour Sport and NRF, this leadership group are proud to have produced the first draft of the Women and Girls Action Plan for our club.

This plan, whilst still in its early stages, will enable the club to make small, yet deliberate changes in key areas of concern for club members, over time these small changes will have significant impact on the women and girls program and overall involvement at the club.

Our ultimate goal is to create an environment where specific initiatives for women and girls are no longer needed because inclusivity is second nature and a core part of our club culture. We strive for a club where everyone feels valued, and everyone has a voice.

If you would like more information or would like to get involved, please contact Gail Hanekom – gail@ecbafc.co.nz