That is a question I reflected on during our third (FANYC) meeting of the season. it was one of the most personally impactful experiences for me so far.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on 8 March and recognises the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women worldwide. In football terms, it might prompt discussions around gender pay gaps, unequal access to facilities or the hangover of stereotypes that football is a “men’s game”. But where do the origins of International Women’s Day come from? And where does it still have to go?

A potted her-story

115 years ago, in 1911, the first International Women’s Day took place. Its focus was on women’s suffrage and the rights to work, hold public office and not be discriminated against. Just ten years later, about 150 women’s football clubs existed in England. Despite this, in 1921, women’s football was banned at the professional and affiliated levels. This ban would last for almost fifty years. Lifted in 1970, it took another two decades before the first official women’s World Cup took place in 1991. 2018 was the first time that Manchester United, one of the most established football clubs the world over, formed a professional women’s senior team. Equal pay for England’s senior male and female teams was secured just six years ago, in 2020. And in 2021, a century on from the ban, women’s sports formed less than 6% of global sports coverage. 94% of all sporting programming covered men’s competitions.

105 years on from the ban that stymied the growth of women’s football, what has changed? And what still needs to?

When we give, we gain

This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is ‘Give to Gain’. This highlights how support given by other people and organisations is instrumental in contributing to gender equality. It generates net positive impacts for entire industries and communities, not just women and girls. In the world of football, we can ‘give to gain’ by:

• challenging discrimination against women and girls on and off the pitch,
• providing more visible opportunities for women and girls to play,
• mentoring women and girls and acting as an ambassador and role model,
• giving women and girls a voice about how and why they want to play, and
• promoting leadership opportunities for women and girls.

When I thought about this theme, the first thing that came to mind was the FA Wildcats programme, launched in 2017 for girls aged 5-11 to play football – often for the first time. This is just one example of how organisations can give their support to advance opportunities for women and girls in football.

Another programme that embodies this theme is the FA Women’s Leadership Programme (WLP), delivered by BUCS. As a participant of Cohort 6 in 2024/25, I was surrounded by female role models, leaders and huge names in the game, from guest speakers to accelerators and other participants. I gained so much by being given the dedicated time and opportunity to focus on learning about myself and learning from others. WLP personifies what it means to “give to gain”. It gave me the networking opportunities and confidence to apply to be part of the FA National Youth Council. This is another programme which I have already gained so much from – through opportunities to deliver content, lead meetings and be part of making change in football.

What’s next for International Women’s Day?

It is clear that a lot has changed in the last 115 years. How much further is there to go? Women continue to face barriers in accessing football internationally. That is why providing opportunities and safe spaces for all women and girls to play year-round, not just one day a year, is so important. What can you give to help gain gender equality?