Footballco's INDVISA Launches More Women in Football Programme to cultivate future female leaders in football
This International Women’s Day, Footballco’s women’s football media brand, INDIVISA, is launching a new educational platform to offer young girls the opportunity to understand off-the-pitch roles within football in order to consider a career in the sport.
The More Women in Football programme complements a new series published across INDIVISA and other Footballco channels, including GOAL, Calciomercato, and MUNDIAL, showcasing a “Day in the life” of women working in a range of roles within football - from operations and matchday experience to commercial, media, and beyond.
Clubs, brands, and rights holders are invited to appoint and spotlight female leaders who will inspire and become role models for the next generation of women working in football. These leaders will run workshops and talks with teenage girls about career opportunities in football away from the pitch.
First to join the programme is Unilever’s Global Brand Director for Rexona and Sure, Emily Heath.
Emily Heath, Global Brand Director at Rexona/Sure, the world’s number one antiperspirant and deodorant, is at the forefront of driving the brand’s cultural impact through sport, particularly in football.
With 18 years of experience at Unilever, she has played a key role in shaping the company’s global partnerships with FIFA, UEFA, and leading clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea.
Under her leadership, Rexona is not only a sponsor but a catalyst for change, using research and advocacy to address the lack of female role models in sport. By investing in grassroots programmes, training coaches, and amplifying the voices of female athletes, Rexona is helping to shift the narrative - ensuring that women’s football is seen, celebrated, and sustained for future generations.
Footballco will also be hosting its own workshops through the year, spotlighting the women behind the scenes working across its media brands.
To deliver the workshops, INDIVISA has partnered with London-based charity Bloomsbury Football. Committed to bringing the power of football to young Londoners, Bloomsbury Football has pledged to achieve 50/50 gender equality across its programmes by 2028. The workshops will take place during Bloomsbury Football's Girls sessions, providing players with the opportunity to learn about roles in football. Additional host partners may be added to the programme based on the locality of guest speakers.
Charlie Hyman, Founder & CEO of Bloomsbury Football said: “At Bloomsbury Football, we want girls to have big dreams in football - but this doesn't just have to be on the pitch. We want to show our players that there are many career paths in this industry, and give them diverse role models to look up to.
“When girls grow up seeing women in all areas of football, we can create a more inclusive and representative industry for all.”
Head of INDIVISA, Morgan Brennan, said: “While we’ve seen great advances in the representation of women in football, this has been focused primarily on the pitch or roles in front of the camera.
“From working with young women around football we’re aware that while they’d love to be footballers, they’re not aware of roles in football for them which are behind the scenes but also essential to the growth of the game.”
“We’re excited to kick off the More Women in Football programme with Emily to showcase what a career in football can look like away from the pitch as well as the impact you’re still able to make on the game.”
Content captured from More Women in Football events will be hosted across INDIVISA web and social channels and amplified across other Footballco brands, providing access to the content for girls unable to attend in person.
“Football is an incredible game - a source of confidence, connection, and opportunity. But too many barriers still prevent young women from seeing it as a career path, especially off the pitch.
I’m incredibly proud to be part of the More Women in Football programme, helping to spotlight the impressive female leaders in our industry and inspire the next generation to step into the game with confidence.”- Emily Heath, Global Brand Director for Rexona/ Sure.
To accompany the in-person workshops and presentations, INDIVISA has partnered with leading clubs, brands and other rights holders to profile women working in football through a series of ‘day in the life’ social videos. The series launched ahead of International Women’s Day and will continue to be published in the forthcoming weeks.
Women featured in the ‘day in the life’ series include:
Alex Bailess, Freelance Content Creator
Budreya Faisal, Club President at Banaat FC
Amanda Vandavort, President of USL Super League at United Soccer
Ashley Cheatley, player and Technical Ticketing Support Executive at Brentford FC
Raigan Burney, Senior Coordinator of Digital Insights at US Soccer
Emily Heath, Global Brand Director - Rexona/Sure at Unilever
Fabiola Wilcox, VP of marketing and communications for Footballco said: “This marks the beginning of a multi-year strategy from Footballco to bring more women into the game.
“Making off-the-pitch roles more visible in early education is the first step towards achieving more equality in football.
“The clubs and brands already attached have been great allies, and we're delighted to be working together to amplify this message through our Footballco network of brands, including INDIVISA, GOAL and MUNDIAL.”
Clubs, brands and other companies working in football that wish to join the More Women in Football programme can email MWIF@Footballco.com
