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Wednesday 16 September 2026 was a new milestone in the history of Women in Football. As well as the fifth edition of our Be Inspired Confidence at Wembley Stadium, the date also marked the kick-off of WIF’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

More than 550 delegates from across the football industry, every stage of career, working on and off the pitch, across men’s and women’s football, from grassroots to the professional game were present, a stark contrast to the less auspicious beginnings of the organisation.

Twenty years ago, women working in football often felt conspicuous. Being able to do your job could mean being a trailblazer, and sometimes a very lonely one. Yvonne Harrison, WIF’s CEO quoted one of WIF’s founders, Anna Kessel MBE in her conference welcome speech, a quote from a historical review of WIF that Anna wrote in 2024.

“In 2006, there was no national conversation about women in the game. From the pitch to the stands, the boardroom to the press box, football was a man’s game – and there wasn’t much argument to suggest otherwise.” 

As Yvonne looked out across the crowded Bobby Moore Suite, she remarked that the presence of all genders at the conference was a powerful symbol of how far football has come.

This year’s conference was built around four principal themes, with 69 speakers across the day building their speeches and panels around them.

• Celebrate - The Progress We’ve Made

Celebrating the growing influence of women shaping the direction of the game, marking the change that’s happened and acknowledging the change that’s needed.

• Visibility - Changing the Landscape

Ensuring women in the game are seen, heard and represented at every level - making their presence across the industry visible, valued and increasingly the norm.

• Collaboration - Strengthening the Network

Harnessing the power of the Women in Football community, bringing individual members AND organisations together to support one another, share knowledge, find solutions and create new opportunities.

• Influence and Advocacy - Protecting the Future

Championing integrity, accountability and good governance to create a stronger, fairer and more inclusive game for all.

 

 

“More women are working across every part of football. More women leading. More women visible. More voices being heard. And opportunities that simply didn't exist twenty years ago are now opening up” said Yvonne. “Women in Football has grown from a group of people challenging the status quo into a community of over 13,000 people as of this week. 

“But today isn't just about looking back. It's about asking: what comes next? Because progress doesn't happen by accident. It happens when people come together. When organisations create opportunity. When leaders open doors. When voices are heard. When people are prepared to challenge what isn't right, and when we turn ambition into action.”

Over the coming months, Women in Football will share the findings from its 2026 workforce survey and launch a new strategic roadmap, working with its Membership Committee and EEDI Advisory Group to ensure the organisation continues to meet the needs of its members. Recruitment will also commence for a new cycle of WIF’s Board Apprentice Programme, created and named in memory of another co-founder, Vikki Orvice.

Twenty years ago, Women in Football was created because change was needed” said Yvonne in conclusion. “Today, we celebrate how far we've come, and we get to decide how much further we can go together. 20 years is not a finish line. It's a launchpad.”

 

 

Ebru Köksal has led the board of directors at Women in Football since October 2015. After eight hours of discussions, debate and thought-provoking deliberation, it was her honour to bring the 2026 edition of the conference to a close. She did so, with a focus on one word: resilience.

“Last year, in our survey, we asked women what had helped them most throughout their careers in football. The number one answer was resilience with 70%. When I first saw that, I thought, of course. That makes sense. I have relied on resilience throughout my own career. Most people who have been around football for any length of time probably have. But the more I thought about it, the less comfortable I became with the answer.” The room hushed.

“Resilience is a wonderful quality when life goes wrong” continued Ebru. “It is less wonderful when you need it simply to survive the workplace. I don't want us to build an industry that requires women to be extraordinary simply to succeed.

“Underneath the many conversations today, I heard something quite similar. Talent is everywhere. But opportunities are not equally visible to everyone. And that, I think, is where the work now lies.

“For years, we have asked women to become better equipped to navigate the system. Be more confident. Build your network. Find a mentor. Speak up. Negotiate. Take the risk. But there comes a point when you must stop asking only what the woman needs to do differently and start asking more of the workplace. That is a much harder job.”

 

 

As Ebru reflected on the last ten years of WIF, she noted how the organisation itself had needed to change. How sometimes you need to campaign from the outside, and sometimes you need to be sitting at the table when the policy is being shaped.

As her speech moved towards its conclusion, Ebru delivered, with a typical mix of steel and sparkle in her eyes, some honest and pragmatic food for thought.

“This conference is called Be Inspired. Inspiration is lovely. But by the weekend, most of us will have forgotten half of what inspired us today. That is normal. So perhaps don't try to remember everything. Remember one thing. Hold on to that. And do something with it.

“Twenty years into Women in Football, I don't think our ambition should be to produce ever more resilient women. It should be to build a football industry worthy of the women who are already in it. And of those who haven't arrived yet. If we can do that, perhaps when WIF turns 40 and somebody asks women what helped them build their careers in football, resilience will no longer be number one. Perhaps the answer will be: Opportunity. I would quite like that. Tomorrow, we carry on.”

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