As part of its ongoing commitment to women’s sport, Sports Marketing Surveys has teamed up again with Women in Football. Together the two companies have launched the opening wave of research from a new investigation into Covid-19 and its impact.

The longitudinal series of four short surveys will gather much needed feedback on how the virus and the resulting lockdown and furlough schemes are impacting on women’s access to, experience and future expectations of working in the industry. The research programme will encourage Women in Football members alongside other workers in the football landscape to take part in four waves of research throughout the second half of 2020 and into 2021.

Questionnaires will track the experiences of women and monitor the situation as government support is changed or withdrawn. They will capture the opinions of women working in and around the football industry and help to assess whether equality and inclusion in the industry has been affected in the wake of the pandemic.

By tracking this information among a consistent panel over time, Women in Football will be able to cross reference the introduction and removal of government policies with changes in the experience of women involved in the sport. Armed with independent evidence, they can help mitigate any potentially negative or disproportionate impact on access to opportunities in the beautiful game.

This programme is not the first joint venture run by SMS and Women in Football. Earlier in 2020, SMS operated a pro-bono member study as part of the #Whatif campaign. The results benchmarked the current landscape within the industry and identified what support respondents most desired from Women in Football.

John Bushell, managing director of Sports Marketing Surveys, commented: “It is imperative that the Coronavirus crisis does not impact on the positive strides that football is making. Unfortunately, we know from previous research that many Women in Football members do feel that they have been subject to gender-based discrimination or sexism during their careers, even if there have been recent improvements. Ensuring that women feel safe, welcome and equal at all levels of the football pyramid, whether as participants or executives, is an important and laudable goal and we are proud to be supporting Women in Football in their ongoing work.”

Jane Purdon, CEO of Women in Football, added, “Women in Football is delighted to have joined forces with SMS to evaluate the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on workforce diversity and opportunities for women working in the football industry. When we first worked with SMS on our membership study, we were impressed with their proactive and insightful reporting and we are looking forward to collaborating with them throughout this programme.”

Sports Marketing Surveys is a committed supporter of female sport. It is a signatory to The R&A Women in Golf Charter. In July 2020, SMS chairman Stephen Proctor committed to privately funding a £7,500 scholarship for a selected participant in the Rose Series, designed to give female golfers the chance to compete amid the uncertainty of lockdown. For more information please visit www.sportsmarketingsurveys.com or contact ed.willis@sportsmarketingsurveys.com

The Women in Football membership base represents a broad cross section of the football landscape, including a wide range of experiences and sectors. The organisation and its members are committed to sharing expertise, challenging discrimination and celebrating women’s achievement in football.  For more information, please visit www.womeninfootball.co.uk/