IWD 24: What’s happening in women’s football this weekend?
Image by Jeffrey F Lin via Unsplash
By Jessica Elliot
International Women’s Day is here and all around the world, people are celebrating the women’s rights movement and the importance of women in different industries. Women’s football is no different, with clubs hosting a range of events to highlight the importance of women in sports.
Liverpool, who currently sit fifth in the Women’s Super League, have been key in pushing the women’s game forward in England. They are hosting an audience with former Liverpool Women player and official ambassador Natasha Dowie at Anfield Stadium as a celebration of the day amongst employees at the club. She will be speaking about her professional journey and how important it is that young girls have visible role models in the sport.
To involve the fans, the club will also be hosting a football tournament involving 30 schools in the local area, with more than 300 girls competing. Along with this, they will also be inviting school pupils to an event intended to encourage women and girls to consider careers in the football industry.
Also down south, Brentford have invited their supporters to join them in celebrating International Women’s Day. For their match against Chelsea, #HerGameToo shirts will be worn by the players during their warm-up. As well as this, before the game, two Brentford Women players will speak to the fans, discussing the team’s attempt for promotion this season.
Here in Scotland, in the lead-up to International Women’s Day, ScottishPower is bringing more funding to the Highlands and Islands league. The energy company sponsors Scottish Women’s Football (SWF) leagues, as well as the top flight, the Scottish Women’s Premier League.
For the first time, the Highlands and Islands league will kick off with a title sponsor. ScottishPower has been named as the sponsor and is working closely with SWF to support the women’s game going forward. Through this, more funding will be available to support things such as new kits, training equipment and coaching expenses.
It’s great to have a day where we can recognise women’s many achievements in the sporting world. It’s fantastic to see how many clubs around the United Kingdom are partaking in events, putting on full display how far we have come.
With so many options, how will you choose to celebrate International Women’s Day?