A survey carried out by Women in Football (WIF) has found that 78 per cent of its respondents have experienced discrimination based on gender in their workplace, with over half facing sexism or misogyny. The findings were published on Thursday by WIF, a network of professionals who work in the football industry, challenging discrimination and working to improve women’s representation in the field. Among its key findings, WIF stated that 56 per cent of women working in football say no further act
The findings were published on Thursday by WIF, a network of professionals who work in the football industry, challenging discrimination and working to improve women’s representation in the field.
Among its key findings, WIF stated that 56 per cent of women working in football say no further action has been taken after reporting gender-based discrimination in their workplace. It also found that 69 per cent of men feel women must work harder than men to receive the same recognition, while 86 per cent of female respondents feel that is true.
The survey also found that a higher percentage of women from underrepresented ethnic groups are adversely affected by discrimination, online abuse, career progression obstacles, and a lack of support.
There were 867 respondents, comprising 759 women, 100 men and eight non-binary people, with 12 per cent of respondents from under-represented ethnic groups.
Yvonne Harrison, chief executive of WIF, said: “The headline data from the 2025 survey remains relatively static, and in many areas, bleak. They are not just numbers: they are the lived experiences of people working in the game, and they deserve better.
“If the industry is to change, we need to recognise these hard truths. We can safely assume that the real levels of discrimination are even higher, with a third of female respondents stating they had not reported incidents due to a lack of faith and trust in workforce processes, or for a fear of retribution.”
WIF reported that 36 per cent of its members did not report cases of abuse or discrimination as they did not feel it would be adequately dealt with. Moreover, 26.9 per cent said they did not report cases over worries it would affect their career.
According to the findings, nearly four in five women remain optimistic about the prospects of women in the football industry.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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