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Women in Football (WIF) is today calling upon FIFA and the game’s governing bodies to ensure that women working in the game, on and off the pitch, feel safe, welcome and supported.

WIF’s Open Doors Agenda comes in response to FIFA’s invitation at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Sydney last month for women to “just push the doors” and say what football needs to do. Events in Spain following the final show that there is much to do, as do findings from WIF’s 2023 survey, which make it clear that despite progress towards greater inclusion for women in the sport, their career progress is still held back by misogyny and sexism in too many cases.

WIF leads with a call on FIFA and its six continental confederations to mandate diverse leadership in national associations. This should include setting a roadmap to achieve an initial target of at least 30 per cent female membership of their general assemblies and executive committees, together with other targets to ensure that these bodies reflect the demographics of the communities that they aim to serve. 

WIF also calls for the executive committees of national associations to include independent, non-executive members. These members and the president should be recruited by a formal, rigorous and transparent process. Once in position, presidents should be subject to term limits.

WIF’s proposals also include measures dealing with abuse to be written into the statutes of football’s governing bodies. Central to these is the principle that no player or employee should be subjected to discrimination, abuse, harassment, or inappropriate physical contact, with violations punishable including by dismissal where appropriate. This is supported by calls for the strengthening of reporting pathways.

Women in Football members are invited to add their names to the call for reform.

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The Open Doors Agenda in summary A minimum of 30% women on senior decision-making bodies Senior decision-making bodies to include independent, non-executive members Senior decision-makers to be recruited by transparent processes, to serve fixed terms of office Policies and sanctions against discrimination, abuse, inappropriate physical contact and sexual harassment Clear pathways for reporting and dealing with violations Fit-for-purpose safeguarding and duty of care policies and responsibilities, ensuring that players’ voice are heard

 

The context for reform

Increased female representation at boardroom and executive level is vital to change the culture of football. Among the 140 members/delegates of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), only six are women.

Examples of inequality and abuse are far from uncommon across the world. In the United States the 2022 Yates report described a culture of misconduct at clubs, identifying not only a lack of safety measures to protect players, but also inaction by the national governing body and retaliation against those who reported abuse.

Data from the Women in Football survey in 2023, furthermore, shows that the industry is moving backwards on certain key measures. 

The survey found that 82 per cent of women working in football have experienced gender-based discrimination at work – up from 66 per cent in 2020. Some respondents to the survey who had complained about discrimination reported that they had been subjected to threats and pressure to drop their complaints – much like Jenni Hermoso herself and the whistleblowers in the United States found by the Yates report to have been victimised for their actions.

Other sectors have accelerated the rate of change by the use of targets for gender representation. The FTSE Women Leaders Review set a goal of 40 per cent female membership of boards and attained that goal more than three years ahead of the December 2025 target. Organisations have reported substantially improved performance and corporate culture as a result.

 

Transformation

WIF’s reform proposals are the starting point for a transformation of football governance, fostering a culture of gender-inclusiveness and thereby creating the conditions necessary for women working in football, on and off the pitch, to feel safe, welcome, and supported.

Once this culture is established and a system of support is in place for the female workforce in football, the whole game will benefit by the ability to recruit from an expanded pipeline of talent and a working environment where that talent can thrive. 

WIF also recognises that other major employers such as clubs and leagues have a vital role to play in working towards a gender-inclusive football industry. We are already working with many major football organisations, including clubs, who are keen to be part of the change that football so badly needs. 

We will continue to work closely with the football industry and we invite organisations right across the sport to come and talk to us, to explore the practical help we can give to make football an industry where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential. 

Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison says: “We welcome the progress made towards gender equality by many football bodies, but across the game as a whole it’s not enough, and it’s too slow. If football wants to end the cycle of inequality that results in abuse and institutionalised sexism, and if the doors are truly open, then inaction is not an option. Football has to change, starting at the top, and starting now.”

Women in Football Chair Ebru Köksal adds: “We’re calling on FIFA and the continental confederations to make our proposals mandatory for all national associations. We recognise that transformative change can take time and our doors are open to every football organisation that wishes to harness our expertise to help set the roadmap for change. But we are clear that without the kind of culture change in governance that the Open Doors Agenda sets out, the playing field will never be levelled.”

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