Achieving historic success
What helps Vorskla women’s football team to remain champions
Sponsored by Ferrexpo
10 September 2024
Though gender equality is increasingly recognised as important, it remains a persistent issue, particularly in sports. This is particularly evident in football, where research shows that 95% of coaches and 91% of referees are men. It wasn’t until 2022 that a woman first officiated a World Cup match.
In Ukraine, Women's football receives scant coverage in in the national media. Matches are rarely broadcast on television or streaming platforms, where sports content often requires a paid subscription. Information about women’s matches seldom appears in sports news.
Julia Broussard, Deputy UN Women Representative in Ukraine
"The Ukrainian media began to pay more attention to women's football when Kyiv hosted the women's Champions League final alongside the men's final of the 2018 Champions League. And later, when the Ukrainian women's football team reached the round of 16 in the Champions League," says Julia Broussard, Deputy UN Women Representative in Ukraine.
In addition, female football players face limited training opportunities due to the lack of adequate infrastructure. Although there are different types and sizes of football pitches in most Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages, women still face stereotypes and prejudice when trying to access them.
There has, however, been progress. In England, a country with a rich football tradition, women were banned from playing on Football Association grounds for 50 years, from 1921 to 1971. Today, FIFA recognises women's football as an important growth opportunity. This year, the Ukrainian Football Association took a notable step in the direction of gender equality by creating an expert group dedicated to ensuring gender equality in football for the first time in its history.
"In terms of a gender perspective, this entails ensuring women have equal access to playing football as professional athletes, without facing prejudices about 'non-female sports'. It also involves ensuring women have full rights to choose football as a career opportunity, including the ability to pursue careers as football organisation managers, coaches, referees, and doctors, and to be involved in decision-making within the football sphere," says Julia.
Screenshot from video
"Being the champion is incredibly cool"
Vorskla, a women’s football team founded in 2004 in Poltava, a city in central Ukraine, illustrates the importance of supporting female athletes. Its players have had many successes on the pitch.
Vorskla women's football team, season 2024-2025
Vorskla’s most recent achievement came on 4 May 2024, when they became the Ukrainian champions after defeating Kryvbas, a team from the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, with a score of 6-0. This marked the team’s fifth championship win.
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"Being the champion is incredibly cool,” says Vorskla defender Karina Voit. “I had an opportunity to experience it this year, and talking about it still gives me goosebumps. I want to thank all of our coaches, all Vorskla staff, and the women [from my team] for their dedication in training, during matches, and beyond.”
"I’d also like to note,” Voit continues, “that winning a championship is one thing, but defending the champion’s status multiple times is quite another. This year, teams have made strong player selections, and the season looks set to be very interesting and competitive.".
"I’d also like to note,” Voit continues, “that winning a championship is one thing, but defending the champion’s status multiple times is quite another. This year, teams have made strong player selections, and the season looks set to be very interesting and competitive.".
Karina Voit, Vorskla defender
Tetiana Levytska, Vorskla midfielder, adds that football is a lifestyle. It demands discipline and a commitment to a daily routine. First and foremost, players must concentrate on training, practising, and competing; everything else comes after.
This is what helps Vorskla to retain its champion’s status. This autumn, the team will once again represent Ukraine in the Women's Champions League.
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"The Champions League is on a different level. We’re really looking forward to this opportunity. We want to show how we work as a team, which is something we work on every single day and, of course, we want to return to Poltava with a victory," says Levytska.
Tetiana Levytska, Vorskla midfielder
Vorskla footballers say that they will strive for historic success despite all the challenges they face. They think that their victory can help make women’s sports more popular and affect how it is seen by society as a whole.
However, the public still does not regard female footballers with the seriousness they deserve. Women continue to encounter gender stereotypes and prejudice.
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"For example, when I mention that I’m a football player while getting my hair dyed or nails done, I often hear comments like, 'Oh my God, you're getting your nails done?' Yes, we do get our nails done and our hair dyed. We spend two and a half hours on the pitch, but we’re still women, after all. And yes, we take care of ourselves," says Levytska.
Match between women's soccer teams, season 2024-2025
Iia Andrushchak, a former footballer and midfielder for the Ukrainian women's national team, who is now a coach for Vorskla men's youth team, the first female coach in the history of Ukrainian football, also brings up gender discrimination. But she says she is used to ignoring it. At the beginning of her coaching career, Andrushchak knew she would face negative comments. Some of her critics seemed to be waiting for her to fail. Ultimately, meeting the expectations of the team itself was her primary focus.
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"I wanted to prove that a woman can successfully lead a men's team, which is a common practice worldwide. It was, of course, a challenge for the team, as they had previously been coached only by men. So it was important to earn their trust, to show them that I can teach them, that they can win with me," Andrushchak says.
"It's very hard to play in front of empty stands"
Women football players on the field
Andrushchak says the level of support for women's football in Ukraine is not yet that great. While women’s teams are mostly cheered on by family and friends, men’s football attracts thousands of fans.
Iia Andrushchak, coach of Vorskla men's youth team
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"Women's football, like any sport, deserves its own fan base. However, there’s still little media support. It’s crucial to get girls involved in social programmes and organise events to promote women’s football. If it was in the public eye more, it would attract more fans," says Andrushchak.
Vorskla midfielder Anna Davydenko, who made a dramatic career change from serving in Ukraine's National Police to professional football at 29, says that the team does not get enough attention, partly due to the ongoing war.
Anna Davydenko, Vorskla midfielder
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"Honestly, it's very hard to play in front of empty stands, because fans are as important as players on the pitch. Even support from substitute players on the bench boosts your energy, so imagine what it feels like when the whole stadium is cheering for you! It’s a source of emotions and drive that’s always played a crucial part in football.
Yes, we lack support and would love to have more, but the war, restrictions on spectator numbers, and other factors have limited it. But I believe the situation will improve in the future," Davydenko explained.
Yes, we lack support and would love to have more, but the war, restrictions on spectator numbers, and other factors have limited it. But I believe the situation will improve in the future," Davydenko explained.
Volodymyr Yefimako, the coach of the Vorskla women's team
"If it weren't for the war, we’d have more female footballers in the championship, teams wouldn't disappear, and [women’s football] would grow faster," adds Volodymyr Yefimako, the coach of the Vorskla women's team.
Despite all the challenges, Ukrainian women's football is not standing still and continues to change and evolve. The ambitions of the Vorskla women's team are a testament to this: the team is striving to win the Ukrainian Championship and advance to the Champions League group stage.
"The start of the Ukrainian Championship has been crucial in helping us achieve our peak performance again. We’re currently training in a one-off mode, combining training with theoretical sessions. The closer we get to the Champions League games, the more thoroughly we study our opponents. Our biggest threat is ourselves. If we can conquer our own weaknesses, we won’t be afraid of the other teams," Yefimako notes.
Support from businesses is essential for the growth of women’s sports in Ukraine. Ferrexpo, for example, has been a longstanding partner of the Vorskla Football Club.
Viktor Lotous, Chairman of the Ferrexpo Poltava Mining Management Board
"It’s a great honour for us to support the Vorskla Football Club in the Premier League, especially during these turbulent times. We take pride in knowing that our support not only contributes to the team’s progress, but also advances gender equality in Ukraine. It’s important to note that gender equality is a priority for Ferrexpo, both at our facilities and in society as a whole. We are therefore pleased to see the success of female football players in Ukraine and abroad, which significantly enhances the image of [Ukraine] as a progressive country where women and men have equal rights and opportunities for development," said Viktor Lotous, Chairman of the Ferrexpo Poltava Mining Management Board.
Yefimako explains that the financial assistance provided by Ferrexpo covers substantial logistics, food, and travel costs. However, the firm’s belief in the team is equally essential.
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"Support from businesses and the government plays a huge role because without it, there’s no professional sports, and it’s impossible to achieve the best results. We’re very grateful to Ferrexpo for supporting women's football in these turbulent times and giving us an opportunity to grow and evolve. Their support shows they have faith in us and our growth," the Vorskla Football Club believes.
Located in Poltava Oblast, Ferrexpo's mining operations focus on extracting and enriching iron ore and producing premium iron ore pellets for the global steel industry. The company has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2007.
Ferrexpo is renowned for its wide range of social initiatives, including its support for sports. In 2016, Ferrexpo launched a series of initiatives focusing on inclusivity and gender equality, increasing the number of women in production roles – such as welders, lorry drivers, and machinists – to 100 out of 8,000 employees. Additionally, the company has enhanced female representation in local business management and corporate governance.
Ferrexpo actively supports gender equality initiatives in Ukraine, including the Femunity and Femunity Ukraine projects. In 2022, the company funded the Progression project, implemented by UN Women in partnership with the Pisliazavtra (DayAfterTomorrow) NGO. Ferrexpo is also a partner of Ukrainska Pravda’s UP.100 Leaders rating, which ranks the top 100 public leaders striving to contribute to Ukraine’s victory and protect its independence.
Ferrexpo is renowned for its wide range of social initiatives, including its support for sports. In 2016, Ferrexpo launched a series of initiatives focusing on inclusivity and gender equality, increasing the number of women in production roles – such as welders, lorry drivers, and machinists – to 100 out of 8,000 employees. Additionally, the company has enhanced female representation in local business management and corporate governance.
Ferrexpo actively supports gender equality initiatives in Ukraine, including the Femunity and Femunity Ukraine projects. In 2022, the company funded the Progression project, implemented by UN Women in partnership with the Pisliazavtra (DayAfterTomorrow) NGO. Ferrexpo is also a partner of Ukrainska Pravda’s UP.100 Leaders rating, which ranks the top 100 public leaders striving to contribute to Ukraine’s victory and protect its independence.