At a time when the All India Football Federation announces the expansion of the Indian Women's League (IWL) across the country by conducting it in a four-tier league from the next year, IFA is all set to drive in a movement to bring out potential women footballers from the remote places of Bengal where enthusiasm on women's football is yet to make a take-off. 

As a part of its effort the state football association is going to introduce an IFA Shield, exclusively for women this year. According to plans, in the inaugural year top eight, participating teams from the Kanyasree Cup this season are likely to take part. The secretary Anirban Dutta, while commenting on the issue said, "Our key motive is to bring out promising women footballers through this tournament. Unless more tournaments are organized the number of footballers will not increase. That is why we have plans to organize this knock-out tournament in different districts every year." 

It is believed that IFA has plans to conduct this Women's IFA Shield in the district of South Bengal, around the Sundarban region, and also Santal Parganas in near future. Even, as a part of its grass route programs, the association has also thought of organizing age-group tournaments in women's football in Bengal in the future.

Incidentally, East Bengal Club has requested the All India Football Federation to withdraw its decision of not giving the expenses for accommodation and traveling of the club's women's team to take part in the forthcoming IWL. The IFA has also made the same request to the AIFF. The association's president and East Bengal's vice-president Ajit Banerjee revealed, "IFA and East Bengal have requested AIFF to withdraw the decision. We feel all the participating teams in the IWL deserve the same treatment."

However, East Bengal women's team is likely to kick off in the League at the end of this month. The club is also trying to rope in two footballers from Congo.