Women's football in Brazil: Progress and problems

Abstract

Football is a male sport in Brazil. Small wonder as women were forbidden to play football by law until 1975. Federal Club, the first official women's team was established only in 1977. Women's football progressed rapidly in the early 1980s due to support from big companies, such as Coppertone, Pernambucanas, Cinzano and Unibanco. Radar Club, the most famous women's soccer club, was created in 1982. Unfortunately, during the championships of 1984, fighting broke out between Radar and Bangu. The media and educational authorities used this to attack women's participation in football and financial support from big companies was withdrawn. However, Brazilian women continued to play football and not without international success. The Brazilian women's team obtained third place at the International Women's Football Championships in 1988, first place at the First Women's Football World Championships in 1991 and fourth place at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. This study will consider the progress of Brazilian women's football against a background of national discouragement, covert and overt resistance and gender prejudice.

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