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• Overall 89% of women responding to the survey have experienced discrimination in the workplace

• Gender-based discrimination is seldom reported – and when reported, no action is taken in a majority of cases

• Sexism, bullying and harassment disproportionately affect women in football from underrepresented ethnic groups, both online and face to face

• Vast majority of women and men are optimistic about gender equality in football industry 

A vast majority of women and men working and volunteering in football are optimistic about progress towards gender equality in the industry, new findings from Women in Football (WIF) reveal today – but sexism remains commonplace and complaints often result in no action.

The results of the newest WIF survey, conducted in May 2024, show that 89% of women have experienced discrimination at work. However, 85% of female respondents and 91% of male respondents believe opportunities for women in the football industry will get better.

Despite the public outcry following the Luis Rubiales incident in 2023, the survey also suggests that women reporting discrimination in football are often still not taken seriously.

More than 60% of those who reported an incident said no action was taken as a result – and among those, 16% say they were not even listened to.

And according to the survey data, both the prevalence of gender-based discrimination and the shortcomings of the reporting process are worse for women who work in football and belong to an ethnic group that is underrepresented in the industry (see notes below for breakdown of data).

 

Online hate is perceived to be on the rise by survey participants, with 44% saying they have witnessed an increase in discriminatory social media posts and 18% being directly subjected to more such abuse.

In another eyebrow-raising revelation, 88% of women working in football believe women have to work harder than men to achieve the same recognition and benefits – and 74% of men agree with them.

The 88% figure for women is unchanged since last year, but only 65% of men agreed in 2023 – suggesting that while progress towards gender equality in football remains slow, the industry's male workforce is at least becoming more aware of the barriers faced by their female colleagues.

The survey also asked respondents to identify the biggest challenges for women in football. Last year conscious and unconscious bias came out on top, identified by more than 75% of those who answered – but in 2024 conscious bias has dropped to 37%. The largest hurdle in 2024 is male dominance of the industry (identified by 71%), followed by unconscious bias (66%).

After previous surveys in 2016, 2020 and 2023, this year's is the fourth and largest yet undertaken by Women in Football – the professional network of more than 9,000 members of all genders working in and around the football industry who support gender equality in the game.

 

Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison said:

"Everyone knows that gender discrimination happens in football, but the problem isn't just that it happens – there's an even bigger problem around how football deals with it. When gender discrimination happens, many women don't feel they can report it, and when they do report it, too often no action is taken. Women deserve better. 

"We know there is willingness in the football industry to work for gender equality and we appreciate the contribution of our male allies in achieving it. For real progress to be achieved at this point, the message of our survey is clear: listen to women, and act on what they tell you." 

Women in Football director Lungi Macebo added:

"Racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination usually do not exist in isolation. The ongoing fight for gender equality in football is inseparable from the wider battle for a fairer society, and the results of the Women in Football survey show that organisations need to approach equality, diversity and inclusion in an intersectional way. There needs to be an international effort to ensuring equity in all aspects of our game." 

The survey's findings on the inadequacy of procedures for reporting sexism resonate with Women's in Football's Open Doors Agenda, published after the Luis Rubiales incident in 2023. The agenda calls for six specific measures to reform the governance of the game with a view to improving the representation of women and strengthening protections against discrimination and abuse.

More than 1,100 people responded to the survey during May 2024, providing data which was analysed by IRIS Sport, the international sports research agency based in Germany. The analysis is ongoing and more findings may be announced.

 

Asked if the football sector is one where women can excel, survey participants who responded 'agree' or 'strongly agree' included:

• 64% of female WIF members

• 77% of women of underrepresented ethnic origins

• 80% of men

Asked if they believe more women will fill senior leadership roles in football in the future, survey participants who responded 'agree' or 'strongly agree' included:

• 80% of women working in football

• 70% of women of underrepresented ethnic origins

• 93% of men

60% of women working in football said no action was taken after reporting gender-based discrimination in the workplace, of whom:

• 44% said they were listened to, but no action was taken – rising to 58% for women of underrepresented ethnic origins

• a further 16% stated they were not even listened to – rising to 23% for women of underrepresented ethnic origins

 

Total survey responses n=1,118, of whom:

• 72% are Women in Football members, 28% non-members

• 89% are women, 10% men, 1% non-binary

• 605 (54%) work in football, 361 (32%) volunteer in football

• NB: Of those who stated their ethnic origin, 83 were from underrepresented ethnic groups (cf recommended minimum of 100 for a fully representative sample)

All rounding above to nearest 1%

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