A GROUP of South American girls from the renowned Villa 31 shantytown in Buenos Aires, Argentina have been fighting for their right to play football, which is hard work when you’re constantly discriminated against just because of your sex.

We, at the Chingfordeer, want to raise awareness and gain them the respect they deserve allowing them to play football, wherever and whenever.

Sexism has always been a worldwide problem, in politics, theatre and sport.

Now there is one problem left. Argentina’s Women’s football is not illegal, but it is not respected. This is wrong and should not be tolerated by any female sportswoman anywhere. We are all equal and females should be able to fulfil whatever dreams they have, particularly the Villa 31 girls dream to play football nationally.

Our team of teachers at Chingford Foundation School’s Media Department are aiming to do all they can to raise awareness, gain financial support, interest and promotion.

The first event to raise awareness will be held during the sixth form Year 12 Oscar evening on Thursday, July 15.

During the interval there will be a screening of a short documentary film entitled, ‘Goals for Girls’ made by co-directors Ginger Gentile and Gabriel Balanovsky, which deals with the issues of gender prejudice in Argentinian football.

The film has been given a grant to be made into a full length feature documentary and has been selected at numerous film festivals such New York Latino Film Festival 2010 and Columbia University Alumni Film Festival 2010, New York, USA.

The project has also started The Shantytown Football Project workshops for the young aspiring female footballers to be able to go to the cinema and make films themselves, so that they have a voice and a will to make their voices heard and also to maybe challenge issues that might be prevalent in their own future as adults.

After the screening there will also be a raffle at this event which will raise money for the proceeding full film project, as well as the ‘Shantytown’ Football project. Ginger Gentile hopes that the project will enable the girls to, ‘lose those shackles and create a new future. I hope that the documentary will be a start in the right direction.

The full film will be released mid 2011; which conveniently corresponds with the Women’s World Cup beginning in June of next year.

You can find out more about ‘Goals for Girls’ http://goalsforgirlsthemovie.org/movie/about-the-filmmakers/