“This is a moment when women working in football need to be reminded of their value and merit. It goes without saying that as a trusted colleague and partner of Women in Football (WIF), you value their contribution to your organisation and to the wider game. But this is perhaps also a time when the game’s leaders should think about reiterating this message, not least among their own staff.”

The above excerpt from a letter by Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison, sent to a combination of major football stakeholders and broadcasters in January 2024, kickstarted the creation of a new working group which would tackle gender inequality in football media head on.

One of the catalysts for the initial meeting in April 2024 was the growth in online abuse directed at female football pundits. Those targeted directly by this hate were not the only ones affected. Many other women working in the industry, including members of the 10,500-strong Women in Football membership community, also flagged that they had been negatively impacted.

This trend and the language used were referenced by the then Sports Minister Stuart Andrew MP in the House of Commons as “dangerous” after Women in Football wrote to him at the start of 2024, and to Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee.

The cross-broadcaster working group has initially focused on three core objectives:

• to improve access and opportunity in the football industry
• to normalise women working in the industry and celebrate positive trends.
• to tackle growing issues impacting women working in the industry.

Underlining the importance of such a diverse group of stakeholders working together, Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison who chairs the group said: “We are doing something never done before. These broadcasters have come together and continued to find new ways to show support for women in the industry. I am incredibly proud of the leadership we have shown to convene this incredible group, and I cannot thank them enough for their support.”

The group are currently developing a strategy for how the industry can respond as one voice in the event of future social media abuse targeting one of its female contingent.

Together with additional Women in Football industry partners, the group will also unite around International Women’s Day on 8 March. By developing and sharing a range of content that showcases women working in the game alongside its stars and fans with the unifying hashtag #TodayAndEveryDay – a reprise of Women in Football’s 2024’s theme – individual organisations will showcase the huge variety of roles performed by women in the sport all year round.

On 26 March at Wembley Stadium, Women in Football’s flagship Be Inspired Conference in partnership with Barclays will also feature a broadcaster panel discussion to continue the conversation and address future actions.

Looking ahead, Women in Football Chair Ebru Köksal said: “Women in Football is seen as a credible, representative voice for women working in the industry, and we want to ensure that we continue to be approached for input as different conversations evolve.

“Collaborating with multiple partners, we will not only benefit women working in football, but women in sport more broadly. As our #TodayAndEveryDay message so perfectly summarised: You may not always see us. But we’re there. We always were, and we always will be.”

Which organisations are represented in the working group?

The working group features representatives from Women in Football, ITV, BBC, Channel 4, Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Premier League Productions, and talkSPORT. Role owners include Director of Football, Head of Programming, Women’s Sport Lead, Executive Producer, Head of Production, Communications Director, Head of Digital, and Talent Manager.

Scott Young, Group SVP of Production, Content and Operations at WBD Sports Europe said: “As a sport broadcaster and an employer we are responsible for supporting and championing women in football whether that is on the field, on screen or within the broadcast industry.  We are extremely proud to be working together with the broadcast and football industry to reinforce the message that women are very welcome and to celebrate everything that they bring to football on International Women’s Day.”

Key events timeline:

8–10 January 2024: WIF write to parliamentarians regarding “a series of vicious attacks on named individual female broadcasters, and on women working as football broadcasters”.

10 January 2024: WIF write to all major broadcasters and content production partners.

Late January 2024: WIF works with its legal partner Mishcon de Reya to gather evidence of abuse on social media particularly targeted towards women in the media.

9 February 2024: WIF writes to Twitter/X, outlining how the posts by a former player and manager were “in clear breach of X's Hateful Conduct Policy”.

February 2024: WIF hosts a round table event to support its members. WIF is invited to attend a government round table alongside Eniola Aluko, social media platform representatives, broadcasters, the PFA and Kick it Out. Conversation also held with Ofcom, offering supportive input to develop guidance relating to the protection of people online.

12–13 March 2024: WIF’s Be Inspired Conference at Wembley Stadium features a panel focused on tackling online abuse and its impact.
April 2024: First cross-broadcaster Working Group meeting chaired by WIF CEO Yvonne Harrison.

19 June 2024: WIF release its latest industry survey. Among the headline findings:

• 89% of women responding had experienced discrimination in the workplace. More than 60% of those who reported an incident said no action was taken as a result.
• 44% said they have witnessed an increase in discriminatory social media posts and 18% were directly subjected to such abuse.

July and November 2024, January, and February 2025: Working group continues to meet and stands ready to input into future government and Ofcom policies regarding the online safety of girls and women.