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Women in Football has today published the results of its biggest ever survey of women working and volunteering in and around the football industry. While some findings give cause for concern – with 82% of women working in football having experienced discrimination at work – the overall picture is of positive change.

Compared with WIF’s previous surveys,  a greater proportion of women now feel accepted and encouraged in the football workplace. This time 89% said they were optimistic about the prospects of women in the football industry – up 27 percentage points from only 62% in 2016. 

23% of those who experienced gender-based discrimination at work felt able to report it – while this represents a significant improvement on the 2020 survey, when the figure was just 12%, it is clear there is still a way to go.

The overall prevalence of discrimination (including sexism, sexual harassment and derogatory comments on ability based on gender) has taken a worrying turn for the worse. The 2023 figure of 82% of women in football having experienced discrimination at work is up from 66% in 2020.

Among those who report discrimination, many said nothing happened as a result, with some being pressured to stop pursuing the issue and a number suffering unpleasant consequences. Others, however, received apologies and reported that their employers had dealt with the issue very well.

Some of the contrasts between the new survey, which ran in April and May 2023, and the previous version appear to show that the football industry is making steady progress towards gender-inclusiveness. In 2020 only 45% agreed that football was an environment where women can excel – but this was up to 67% in 2023.

While the industry may be more open to women in entry- and mid-level positions, a 'glass ceiling' remains in the way of their progress to the upper echelons, with only 27% of women saying they are encouraged to forge pathways to the highest positions in the game. 

This echoes findings published recently by the FA on the progress made by clubs towards the targets set out in its Football Leadership Diversity Code.

 

Optimism

Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison said: "There's been progress – slower progress than most of us would like, but there are some real nuggets of optimism that fill me with absolute joy.

"While the figures show that more people are reporting discrimination, it's still not enough. The fear factor of putting yourself forward is really, really significant still.

"I think the more that gender is talked about in workplace environments, the less tolerant women are to some of the things that they're subjected to.

"On the flip side of that, we found some real positives in that 67% of women feel that the football industry is now an industry where they can excel and actually only 45% felt that back in 2020.

"The glass ceiling effect remains a concern, and addressing the issue is made harder by the lack of data. We call upon the industry to be more transparent and joined-up with its data so collectively we have an accurate picture of the football workforce from which we can create change.

"It's also clear that employers in the football industry must create a safe and encouraging system for people to report discrimination – and then to protect those on the receiving end, while dealing with the issue properly.

"Like all other forms of discrimination, sexism can ruin careers and lives. Sadly, it's becoming more widespread. Football needs to up its game and show zero tolerance to the perpetrators.

"Despite the backdrop of all of these issues, there is an optimism that women can excel in this industry."

The results of the survey – both positive and negative – will inform the varied ongoing work done by Women in Football to support its partner organisations and thousands of members in continuing to make the industry a fairer place for people of all genders. This work includes WIF’s Leadership Course in partnership with Barclays and Corporate Membership programme.

 

Join us to discuss The Women in Football members webinar on Thursday 3 August will take a closer look at the findings from our survey and what they mean for the football industry and its female workforce. Join us at 10am and hear from a line-up featuring: Yvonne Harrison CEO, Women in Football Kelly Simmons OBE Women’s Professional Game Director, The FA; Director, Women in Football Kaammini Chanrai Equity & Inclusion Director, Brentford FC Shruti Patel Senior Data Planner/Strategist, Iris Worldwide If you're a WIF member and you'd like to join the webinar, you'll find the link in your #WIFevents email sent on Thursday 27 July. If you're not a member, join us today for free to get access!

 

Key findings from the survey

• 82% of women working in football having experienced discrimination at work – up from 66% in 2020
• 23% of those who experienced gender-based discrimination at work felt able to report it – a significant improvement on the 2020 survey, when the figure was just 12% but still a way to go
• 47% of women working in football have experienced sexism in the workplace – while this figure is still high at almost half, it is also an improvement on the 2020 figure of 65%
• 31% of the women who experienced sexism reported it – however, this too is an improvement on WIF's last survey in 2020, when only 12% reported it
• Over three quarters of respondents believe conscious or unconscious bias is the biggest challenge facing women in the football industry today
• 62% of female WIF members said they have experienced sexist 'banter' or jokes in the football workplace – this figure is unchanged from that of the 2016 member survey
• 18% of women in football  have experienced sexual harassment in the football workplace – this has increased  from 15% in 2016
• 93% of female WIF members have faced an obstacle in their football career because of their gender - compared to 82% in 2020
• Close to half of all women in football believe they have been overlooked for career progression due to their gender
• 89% said they were optimistic about the prospects of women in the football industry – up 27 percentage points from only 62% in 2016 but only 27% of women say they are encouraged to forge pathways to the highest positions in the game
• In 2020 only 45% agreed that football was an environment where women can excel – but this was up to 67% in 2023

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