As Isha Johansen celebrates International Women’s Day, here’s a throwback to the Sierra Leone v Liberia Peace Match 10 years ago

Freetown | 8th March, 2024 | Vertex Media

To mark International Women’s Day, here’s a reflection of how a vibrant Sierra Leone woman, the current FIFA and CAF Executive Committee Member, Isha Johansen, has been celebrating this over a decade now.

Regarded and revered as the most outstanding Sierra Leonean woman who has broken the barriers and successfully sailed through a male dominated industry, football – at its highest level. Her success and growth in football were driven by passion and love to transform the lives of displaced kids after the civil, which led to the formation of FC Johansen.

Madam Johansen grew from a club owner to becoming the first Sierra Leone FA female president to becoming a CAF Executive Committee Member, a FIFA Council member, and a FIFA Foundation Borad Member.

Isha has always been passionate about promoting women’s activities and sought to ensure growth of women’s football despite the enormous challenges she faced as SLFA President.

In her first year as FA President, Johansen initiated the first-ever ‘Peace Match’ between Sierra Leone Women’s Football Team and Liberia Women’s Football Team to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2014 at the Wusum Field in Makeni. This initiative attracted FIFA’s interest, who then sent down a TV crew to document the event.

Isha Johansen’s drive to promote women’s football was also seen when she hosted the WAFU Zone A Female Football Tournament (for senior National Teams) in 2019. Cape Verde, Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, and the host nation Sierra Leone participated in this tournament, held in Bo and Makeni Cities. Before leaving office as SLFA President, Madam Johansen sourced funds for the commencement of the Sierra Leone Female Premier League, which was later implemented by her successor.

Isha’s passion for women’s development led her to establish the Football For Reform and Fashion For Change initiatives. These programs are dedicated to empowering women in Correctional Centres/Prisons. Her Football For Reform program has also attracted FIFA and CAF.

Isha Johansen and FIFA General Secretary, Madam Fatma Samoura raised funds for the construction of a Skills Training Workshop at the Freetown Female Correctional Centre for skills training programs for female inmates.

In November 2023, the first-ever CAF D Licence Coaching Course was introduced for female inmates at the Female Correctional Centre in Freetown. The program, which was unfortunately interrupted due to security issues in the country, sought to train inmates to become football coaches.

In recent celebrations of International Women’s Day, Isha Johansen has been paying the fines and legal fees for female inmates in Sierra Leone, and at the same time she has secured the release of dozens of both male and female inmates.

In celebrating International Women’s Day today, we reflect back on the awesome work of the global football administrator, Isha Johansen, who’s been a champion of women’s development. She uses football as a tool for change, which is now becoming a global becon at both FIFA and CAF.

Isha remains a source of inspiration for women and girls who have followed or heard her story.