Abpfiff - Deutscher Frauenrat

20
The German Football Federation joins in
Following its initial refusal to make a public
statement against human trafficking and
forced prostitution, the German Football
Federation (DFB) experienced a change of
heart. In fact, President Theo Zwanziger even
assumed patronage of the campaign. How did
this happen?
Leading figures had apparently misjudged
the effects of their initial rejection, namely
prompt negative coverage by the press as well
as pressure from women‘s lobbying groups.
At a joint press conference to mark the kickoff
of the campaign on March 200 , DFB
President Theo Zwanziger apologised with
due seriousness for having underestimated
the “full implications“ of the issue. A realitybased
episode of Tatort (a popular German
The launch
The campaign was launched at a press conference
in Berlin on 7 March 2006, the eve of International
Women’s Day. The participants included patron Theo
Zwanziger. While acting as Executive President of the
German Football Federation and right in the middle
of heated national debate over whether head coach
Jürgen Klinsmann should be sacked (can Germany
expect to reach the play-off stage with a coach who
lives in California?), he nevertheless added his weight
to the campaign and its concerns with his presence.
TV detective show) that focused on forced
prostitution had opened his eyes, as well as
insistent communiqués from the Federal
Ministry of Women‘s Affairs and the Deutscher
Frauenrat, and an urgent talk with Ilse Ridder-
Melchers, Vice President of the German
Olympic Federation in charge of women‘s
affairs and equal opportunities. “When I
understood all that,“ he reported, “it was clear
to me that we should do everything in our
power to support the initiators in their efforts
to combat something that must not take place
in our society.“
Furthermore, the DFB financed part of the
campaign, namely a World Cup schedule of
matches in postcard format. Large numbers of
these were distributed in local actions.
rechts/right: Anpfiff – Pressekonferenz am . März 200 / Kick-off press
conference of March , 200 v.l.n.r. / from left to right: Brunhilde Raiser,
Vorsitzende / President Deutscher Frauenrat; Ulrike Helwerth, Pressesprecherin
/ Communications Director Deutscher Frauenrat; Theo Zwanziger,
Präsident / President German Football Federation (DFB)