FIFA has launched the Female Health and Performance Project, making 30 educational modules covering 13 topics available to all 211 member associations through its Training Centre. The modules cover universal sport science topics like sleep, recovery, and strength and conditioning examined through the lens of the female athlete, alongside female-specific topics including female physiology, menstrual health tracking, pregnancy and postpartum, fertility, menopause, and pelvic health.
The initiative addresses a well-documented gap: A study analyzing 5,261 research articles in sport and exercise science journals between 2014 and 2020 found that only 34% of study participants were female, with just 6% of research exclusively focusing on women. The result is that female athletes have relied on training methods, recovery protocols, and workloads developed from research that didn’t reflect their physiology.
“We need to normalise conversations around female health and embrace this, using it to our advantage instead of ignoring it or being fearful of discussing it,” said Dame Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s chief women’s football officer. “It is not a weakness; it is a strength.”
The modules are structured across four knowledge levels from introductory to integrated, designed for audiences ranging from the general public to sports specialists. The project builds on a pilot that supported ten national teams ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup and arrives ahead of the 2027 tournament in Brazil.
