Tackling Female Empowerment on the Field

Honey Thaljieh’s journey from playing football in the streets of Bethlehem to becoming a global advocate for women’s empowerment through sport is one of resilience and determination. Overcoming cultural barriers and personal struggles, she co-founded the Palestinian women's national football team and became its first captain, inspiring countless girls. She then transitioned into a leadership role at FIFA, using football as a tool for social change worldwide, continuing to be an influential voice in championing gender equality, inclusion, and the power of sport to transform lives.

Honey first began kicking a ball around as a 7-year-old in the streets of her hometown, Bethlehem. “I grew up in a war-zone context. Football was fun – but it was also an escape from the many restrictions and traumas of my childhood. We had few rights as children but at least we had football”

And Honey soon discovered she had talent, with boys who at first didn’t want her playing now fighting to have her on their team. Her passion for football grew as a teenager despite being told there was no future as a female player and the opposition of her father (who then became her biggest fan). “But I refused to stop playing football. I felt like a rebel – standing up for what I believed in and fighting the social, cultural and political restrictions women had to face.”

The big break for her future came at Bethlehem University where she had enrolled in a bachelor in business administration. With great determination she convinced the University to start a female football team - a university team which thanks to her continued resoluteness and sense of purpose in just a few years grew and evolved into the Palestinian national team after she managed to convince the Palestinian Football Association to recognize them, followed by full recognition from FIFA. A team that itself had to show great determination to meet up for training and matches with players coming from the various areas of Ramallah, Gaza, Jericho, Jerusalem and Bethlehem having to overcome checkpoints and borders. But their determination was also rewarded with the establishment of the first female league in Palestine in 2008.

Honey’s character and talent made her a natural choice to captain the national team. “It was an incredible honor and a dream come true. The highlight was playing against Jordan in Palestine, in front of thousands of fans, the media, and FIFA representatives—an unforgettable moment I never imagined I’d be part of bringing to life. But I believed in this dream, and I kept visualizing it, determined to make it happen.” 

A game she didn’t manage to play because just a few weeks earlier came the heartbreaking knee injury which ended her playing career.  “At first I thought it was the end of everything. I had knocked down so many barriers but this seemed unbreakable. But then I found the strength within myself – I wanted to continue to promote female empowerment for the next generation of girls, in Palestine and beyond.”

And thus the decision in 2011 to enroll in FIFA’s  International Master (MA) in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, run in partnership with SDA Bocconi school of management, De Montfort University and University of Neuchâtel. “I felt it could open up to me an international platform to push my objectives on a more global scale.”

The Master in fact then opened a career path for Honey at FIFA in the role of Public Relations Manager. "It has been truly powerful to be part of a global platform like FIFA, harnessing the transformative power of football. Just as football changed my life, it is now changing lives across all 211 member associations and beyond—empowering women, refugees, homeless individuals, people of all abilities, and many more. Football is more than just a game; it is a force for inclusion, equality, and hope."

From a young age, she has worked tirelessly to elevate the profile of women’s football in Palestine and beyond while also advocating for critical social issues. At FIFA, she has led initiatives such as integrating refugees into the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan and spearheading the #EndViolence campaign at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea to raise awareness about violence against women and children. In 2015, she championed the launch of the FIFA Annual Conference for Equality and Inclusion, which has since become a recurring event.

Thaljieh also remains a key figure in the growth of football in her homeland as a member of the Palestinian Football Association’s Women’s Football Committee and through her work on the Supreme Council of Youth and Sports a board member at the Palestine Olympic Committee. She is also a ‘Champion for Peace’ of the international Peace and Sport organization and a Champion of the Homeless World Cup.

And her advice to young female students comes from her own journey: “Your uniqueness—your background, culture, and abilities—is your greatest strength. Embrace it, be bold, and challenge the status quo to create change.”