Fifa Elects First Woman to Executive Committee

FIFA welcomed three female members on to its Executive Committee following a historic election at the FIFA Congress in Mauritius.

Lydia Nsekera earns her place on the committee after receiving the most votes (95) in the first-ever election for a female candidate and is elected for four years, while Moya Dodd (70 votes) and Sonia Bien-Aime (38 votes), will also join FIFA’s top table as co-opted members, for one year.

This follows a proposal made by the FIFA President with support from the existing members of the FIFA Executive Committee to have more females in decision-making positions within football. The landmark election marks an important step in FIFA’s two-year reform process.

Burundi Football Association President Lydia Nsekera made history last year in Budapest at the 62nd FIFA Congress when she was co-opted onto the FIFA Executive Committee as the committee’s first-ever female member on an interim one-year basis.

The 63rd FIFA Congress in Mauritius is another milestone in the history of women’s representation in the football family as the 209 members showed overwhelming approval (99 per cent) for the FIFA Statutes 2013, in particular the article 24 al.3 proposing ”one candidate for the office of the female member of the Executive Committee”.

Nsekera is the 25th member of the FIFA Executive Committee composed of 24 members until today. Her mandate as approved by the Congress will be of four years beginning immediately. In case she permanently ceases to perform her official function, the Executive Committee may designate another female member until the next Congress as stipulated in the newly approved FIFA Statutes.