When French Turkish entrepreneur Berivan Colak founded the Women Football Club (WFC) in Istanbul in 2014, it started as a simple but powerful idea: create a safe and inclusive space where women could enjoy football freely. What began as Turkey’s first leisure female football team has since grown into a global network that connects women across cultures and continents.
From a Dream to an International NGO
Registered as a non profit organization in France, WFC quickly became more than just a football team. With the vision The Sky is the limit and the motto Our Differences Our Strengths, the club positioned itself as a platform for diversity, equality, and empowerment. Today, WFC has an active presence in Turkey, France, Spain, the UAE, and the UK, with more expansion on the horizon.
Over the last decade, more than 700 women from at least 12 nationalities have worn the WFC shirt. Ages range from teenagers discovering football for the first time to women in their fifties keeping their love for the game alive. There are no barriers of entry – no matter one’s background, skill level, or profession, everyone is welcome.
The Social Dimension of Sport
The most powerful aspect of WFC lies beyond the pitch. While football is the unifying activity, the deeper purpose is to create a community where women can support and uplift each other in all areas of life.
For many members, WFC is the first space where they feel completely accepted – regardless of their background, culture, or experience in sport. It is a place where newcomers to a city can immediately find a network of friends, where job opportunities are shared, and where members help one another with challenges such as balancing family responsibilities or adapting to a new culture.
This social fabric is strengthened by WFC’s commitment to inclusivity. Members actively learn from one another’s differences, whether in beliefs, traditions, or lifestyles. The club shows how diversity is not an obstacle but a source of strength. On the pitch, this translates into teamwork and resilience. Off the pitch, it creates friendships and solidarity that extend far beyond the game.
WFC also partners with other non governmental organizations to broaden its social impact. Its members regularly contribute to animal shelters in Turkey and France, take part in community projects, and organize events with local institutions. These activities underline that football is not just about competition – it is a vehicle for civic engagement and positive social change.
The stories of individual members highlight the transformative power of this community. Some women join WFC after years of being told that football was “not for them” and rediscover their confidence by kicking a ball for the first time. Others use the club as a way to cope with loneliness in a foreign country, finding companionship and emotional support in their teammates. For many, WFC has become a second family – one that celebrates victories together, but also stands side by side in times of difficulty.
By giving women a safe and empowering space, WFC tackles some of the most persistent challenges in women’s sports: lack of visibility, stereotypes, and limited access to inclusive structures. In doing so, it shows that the social dimension of sport is not secondary, but central to building healthier, more resilient, and more connected communities.
Visibility and Recognition
WFC has not gone unnoticed. The club has been featured on international media outlets like TRT World and has played a visible role in major events, including representing women’s football at the UEFA Champions League Festival in Istanbul in 2023. Partnerships with institutions such as consulates and brands like Petrol Ofisi have further amplified its profile.
These appearances highlight WFC’s dual role: promoting women’s participation in football while also serving as a model of diversity and inclusion in sport.
A Unique Community
What makes WFC stand out is the way football becomes a bridge across cultures and lifestyles. Members include students, professionals, and unemployed women alike, all united by their shared love of the game. The club has created an environment where women of different religions, beliefs, and life paths learn to respect one another, collaborate, and build lasting friendships.
The emotional impact of this cannot be overstated. For many, WFC is not only about sport but also about confidence, belonging, and empowerment. Joining the club means stepping into a space where they can show up as their true selves, without judgment or expectation. On the field, women find freedom, joy, and strength; off the field, they find a support system that helps them through everyday challenges.
The sense of solidarity is especially meaningful in a world where women’s opportunities in sport have historically been limited or overlooked. WFC gives its members more than just a chance to play football – it gives them visibility, recognition, and a voice. It proves that women’s football is not just about competition but about creating safe spaces where women can thrive, inspire one another, and redefine what inclusion in sport really means.
In this way, WFC is not only building teams but also shaping a new culture of togetherness. Each training session, each match, each shared moment strengthens the idea that diversity is a resource, not a barrier. By embracing differences, the community shows that unity does not mean uniformity – it means building strength from individuality.
The message is clear: women’s football is not just a game. It is a movement for equality, respect, and empowerment, and communities like WFC show that when women are given the chance to come together, they do not just play – they change the game for everyone.
The Road Ahead
The road ahead for Women Football Club is both promising and challenging. The organization is preparing to expand further, with new chapters opening in Paris, Marseille, Barcelona, and Madrid. These developments mark the next stage of growth, turning WFC into a truly pan European movement. Each new team means more women gaining access to football, more opportunities for empowerment, and more communities built on respect and diversity.
At the same time, the journey of WFC reflects the broader path of women’s football worldwide. While the women’s game has made remarkable progress in recent years, it still faces structural challenges. Compared to men’s football, resources remain limited, visibility is lower, and investment is only slowly catching up. Grassroots initiatives like WFC therefore play a crucial role: they build the foundations where professional structures are still developing and show that the demand and enthusiasm for women’s football is real and growing.
Support is needed on many levels – from local communities providing safe spaces to train, to brands and institutions willing to invest in women’s teams, to media outlets ensuring fair coverage. Every step of backing helps women’s football gain stability and legitimacy. Organizations like WFC demonstrate that the sport can thrive when inclusion, passion, and purpose drive development.
Looking ahead, WFC aims to be more than just a football club. It wants to stand as a symbol of what the future of women’s football can look like: diverse, accessible, and socially impactful. The expansion into new cities is not simply about fielding more teams, but about cultivating ecosystems where women are given the chance to play, to lead, and to inspire.
If women’s football is still building its foundations on the global stage, WFC is one of the architects laying the bricks. And with every new member who joins, every match played, and every community supported, the organization proves that football has the power to change not only the game but also the lives of those who play it.
Discover more about the Women Football Club at www.womenfootballclub.com.
