Cedella Marley Launches New Initiative for Women’s Soccer

October 29, 2021 

Cedella Marley, daughter of legendary reggae artist Bob Marley, has launched a new women’s soccer initiative - 'Football is Freedom' - to provide tools and resources to grow and promote the sport for women in the Caribbean, Latin America and diaspora communities in the US. 

CEO of Bob Marley Group and currently in her seventh year as the global ambassador of the Jamaican Women’s National Football team, the Reggae Girlz, Marley says that football can play a crucial role in empowering young women, providing opportunities for education and professional advancement – on the field and off. 

“The core mission of Football is Freedom is to support the development of women’s football at the grassroots level in the region,” she told CBS’s Attacking Third. 

The initiative’s mission is split into three focuses: 

• Support the development of women’s football at the grassroots level in the region by funding existing programmes, and in diaspora communities within Canada and the US 
• Support the growth and development of national teams by hosting an annual exhibition match or mini-tournament to provide a quality training experience and raise funds that will go directly to the participating women’s programmes 
• Invest in the holistic wellness of the players by funding scholarships and programmes that will assist players with the right skills to succeed on and off the pitch

Football is Freedom launched during the Women’s International Friendlies match between Costa Rica and Jamaica on October 24. The match served as a fundraiser, with a portion of the donations going to each national team. 

“The Costa Rican federation's investment in women's football has helped to inspire my own ideas about the impact that the women's game could have once given the proper support. Having two of our strongest female teams come together like this is a chance to demonstrate the potential depth and power of women's football in this region,” Marley said about the match. 

The Reggae Girlz lost its ability to compete for the 2011 World Cup and obtain a FIFA ranking when the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) stopped funding women’s programmes in 2010. However, things took a turn when Marley joined the team as an official ambassador in 2014. Marley worked with the team to help attract significant funding and in 2019 the Reggae Girlz became the first Caribbean team to play at the Women’s World Cup in France. 

For Marley, this new initiative is a step to further aid and promote women’s football. The Jamaican Federation expressed the importance of Football is Freedom and this week's launch match. 

“Football is Freedom can only help to broaden the interest and quicken the expansion of women's football in Jamaica and the wider region. We are particularly proud that the initiative is being launched around a camp and an international friendly game involving the Reggae Girlz,” said Micheal Ricketts President of the Jamaican Football Federation. 

Sources: Jamaica Observer, CBS Sports