Greek club AEK Athens has taken an important step in supporting motherhood in women's volleyball. The club announced a new policy according to which it will extend the contracts of players who become pregnant in the last year of their contract by one year, and will provide special financial compensation during their pregnancy and absence from competitive activity.
The reason for the initiative was the pregnancy of libero Evita Ksyntara, whose contract was renewed for another season. However, the AEK management decided not to limit itself to supporting the specific volleyball player, but to introduce permanent measures for the entire women's team.
The new policy provides for an automatic one-year extension of the contracts of players who become pregnant in the last year of their cooperation with the club. Separately, every AEK volleyball player who is expecting a child will receive special compensation for the period of pregnancy and absence from her sports duties, regardless of the term of her contract.
The decision was also marked by a special ceremony after the European match with Førde. On October 27, AEK defeated the Norwegian team 3:0 (25:10, 25:14, 25:13) in the first match of the Challenge Cup, and after the match, Evita Ksyntara was congratulated in the hall of the Olympic Village in Athens.

In front of the remaining club supporters in the stands, the volleyball player received a large bouquet of flowers and an AEK jersey with her name and No. 9. The published photographs also show the signing of documents in the presence of a representative of the management.
The ceremony ended with a group photo of Ksyntara, her teammates, the coaching staff, and club representatives. The fans greeted the event with applause, turning it into a public gesture of support for the player.
The initiative is implemented with the support of Marios Iliopoulos, who plays a key role in financing AEK's sports organization.
In its official announcement, the club emphasizes that starting a family is an important stage in every woman's life and should be met with respect and real support.
The decision sparked interest in the Greek sports media, with Gazzetta presenting it as an innovative initiative for local volleyball.
For now, AEK does not specify the amount of the planned financial compensation, nor the details of its payment.
With the new measures, the Greek club brings to the forefront a question that rarely receives public attention in professional women's volleyball – how to guarantee the contractual and financial security of players who decide to become mothers, without this meaning a break in their connection with the team.

photos: AEK