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by Rachel Cameron

Around 100 figures from Scottish football came together on a glorious spring evening at the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh, shining a light on the power of partnerships.

Co-hosted on 29 April by Fulton MacGregor MSP and Maree Todd MSP, the Scottish Government's Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport,  the event set out to expand Women in Football’s membership in Scotland and develop deeper relationships with many of the game’s stakeholders, including commercial partners.

The guests included staff from governing bodies, leagues and clubs as well as players and media. Some were in attendance as representatives of commercial brands, including Barclays and QTV, who generously sponsored the event and refreshments.

Welcoming them to the event, Maree said: “Football holds a unique place in Scottish society and has a reach into our communities like no other sport. Football remains Scotland's number one game and its growth amongst women and girls continues to climb.

“The health benefits are obvious, so it's great that our women and girls are taking up football. But the increase in girls and women playing football also helps to challenge gender stereotypes and to promote gender equality.

“Playing team sports can increase your confidence and builds important life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and resilience. Continuing to increase the visibility, investment and opportunities for women and girls to participate, is therefore absolutely crucial,” she concluded.

 

Significant talent

WIF currently boasts over 11,000 members of all genders and the organisation works tirelessly to support them with their professional development, creates regular networking events, and supports them with free legal advice if they face discrimination.

WIF also supports organisations to be more gender-inclusive through its Corporate Membership programme and brand partnerships. These address the issue that that women, particularly in the most senior positions in football, are still hugely underrepresented and the industry is missing out on significant talent.

The latter point was acknowledged by both MSPs, with Fulton [MacGregor] explaining: “This event tonight is not just about women's opportunities on the pitch. It's also about securing a diversity of women represented in all positions right across the football sector. That includes leadership roles, roles in media, more women too amongst our coaches, volunteers, and officials. Women in Football's work is crucial to help to drive that change.”

 

 

WIF's Chair Ebru Köksal and CEO Yvonne Harrison both attended Holyrood for the event. Addressing the guests in her speech, Yvonne promised a special ‘first’ later this year. Since its inception, more than 600 women across the industry have graduated from the Women in Football Leadership Course in partnership with Barclays. In many cases, it has been a truly life-changing experience for participants, a source of constant pride among the WIF team. In October 2025, Hampden Park will play host to the first edition of the course in Scotland.

 

Passion

Before the guests got to spend an hour networking with each other, strengthening existing bonds and building new ones, Scottish broadcaster Eilidh Barbour hosted a panel discussion featuring Ebru Köksal, Scottish Women’s Football CEO Aileen Campbell, and the trailblazing former player Rose Reilly MBE – whose passion for the game burns as fiercely as it did when she featured in Scotland’s first ever international match and forged a professional career in France and Italy.

The panel dived into a number of important topics, such as how those in the room could help support more women to get into the game, as well as highlighting changes that need to be made in the higher echelons of the football industry, not least in boardrooms, to ensure that more women are welcomed in.

Reflecting on a hugely positive evening, the final words went to Ebru. "We always joke and say that the day we stop existing as Women in Football is the day when anyone can do any job in the football industry, without any barriers, or any discrimination," she said. "Whether playing, coaching, or refereeing on the pitch, or perhaps as Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association or Scottish Premier League off it. That’s the ambition.”

Photos: Steve Welsh

 

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