So excited that the Women’s World Cup has begun! I’ve been looking forward to this for a while now and I’m lucky enough to be writing this blog whilst in the USA - home of the USWNT and let me tell you, the excitement is palpable! Women’s football is so big here that it just feels completely normal for large groups of people (men and women) to be waking up at 3:30am and putting their Alex Morgan shirts on to watch this brilliant spectacle happening Down Under.

Being a woman and especially a woman of colour, running a business in the sports industry often gives me the opportunity to talk about the importance of gender equality (and trust me I take every opportunity). But let’s talk about equity first. Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

The significant difference in men’s and women’s football is said to be the money, but it is not just money - it is the opportunities provided. It is not the same or as easy for young girls and women to thrive in the world of football as it is for men. Visibility is perhaps one of the most important aspects as we talk about the growth of the sport. People argue that male and female athletes are not producing work of equal value to justify their failure to offer equal pay. Men’s football has a more extensive viewership and generates higher revenues, which is why male footballers are compensated at a higher level. And that's all true. But one could also argue that the women are not given the platform and the opportunities to generate support, viewership and revenue as readily as men. Only 4% of sports media coverage is devoted to women’s sports. Give them the opportunity that they have been denied for so long and they will show you the quality of their work. This is also true for women off the pitch. Women have long been denied opportunities to have their seat at the table and while this is changing, we still have a long way to go.

How do I know this? Well, I see it of course. But equally, the data is telling us that while steps are being taken, it’s not at the rate we need in terms of grassroots opportunities, leadership roles and especially in terms of equal pay. With data being the valuable currency it is now, we have a unique opportunity, especially in women’s sport, to do this differently. To be evidence-led. To ensure we are benchmarking and tracking and validating what we think we know. That's the point of data - to aid us in our decision-making to ensure we are reaching the goals we set ourselves. 

…we have a unique opportunity, especially in women’s sport, to do this differently. To be evidence-led. To ensure we are benchmarking and tracking and validating what we think we know. That's the point of data - to aid us in our decision-making to ensure we are reaching the goals we set ourselves. 

With the Women’s World Cup progressing in full swing, interest in women’s football is at an all-time high, and it’s only getting better. Attendance records are being smashed, broadcasting channels are setting viewership records and a new generation of fans are finding role models - not just on the pitch when Alexandra Popp scores a goal, but equally when Jaqcui Oatley presents and when Mary Earps fights to have a keeper’s jersey made. New role models in new roles that women and girls never thought could be jobs for them.  

You don't have to be at the World Cup to feel part of this movement. I’m incredibly proud to be part of the Xero Campaign “Dream Bigger” in collaboration with Women in Football. The campaign is designed to showcase that whether you run a small business or whether you are playing football, we’ve all got big dreams. And we all contribute in our own way to the growth of women’s football. We’ve all got a role to play. At Upshot, we feel very proud everyday to support our brilliant organisations and partners so they have the tools to make a difference on the ground. Shout out to Goals4Girls and Girls United FA leading the way!

So for me, I will be waking up early, putting my jersey on, watching closely and tracking the stats so that this will be the new benchmark. And when people ask me how this boom of women’s sports happened - I can say, we finally gave them the opportunities, the platforms and they showed us what they can do.