Urban Pitch covered a story of The WE United Project, when WE launched Nepal’s first-ever women’s futsal league, Mahila Premier League in 2017.
The WE United Project, a football organization in Nepal led by and for women, recently launched the Mahila Premier League—the country’s first-ever women’s futsal league. With eight participating teams, the league is a continuation of WE United’s work creating opportunities for Nepali women to play the sport in a country where women’s participation in football is not encouraged.
Founded in Kathmandu in 2014 by Anne McGuinness and Amanda Cats-Baril, the organization began as a product of two friends who shared a passion for football and a commitment to human rights. McGuinness and Cats-Baril were inspired by the impact football had on their own lives and wanted to help embolden and empower women and girls in Nepal. For the past several years, the organization has opened fields specifically for women, hosted weekly matches and regular tournaments, and built a community of players who can now play the beautiful game in a safe and competitive setting.
We got a chance to talk with the two founders of The WE United Project to get an idea of how women’s football is changing in Nepal and what the new futsal league means for aspiring players on and off the pitch.
