The FA have provided a final update on the progress made across the women’s and girls’ game strategy: Inspiring Positive Change (2020-2024).

Originally launched in 2020 with the ambition of building a sustainable future for women’s and girls’ football, the duration of the strategy has coincided with record levels of growth across the sport, turbocharged by the success of the Lionesses who have become European champions and World Cup finalists in the same period.
 
In the last four years, the number of women and girls playing football has increased by 56 per cent. Knowing that for most girls their first taste of football comes in the playground or on the school playing fields, Inspiring Positive Change set the target of 75 per cent of schools to be offering girls equal access to football by 2024. That target was met in 2023 and has now been surpassed, with 77 per cent of schools offering equal access.
 
There has also been a significant increase in the number of women and girls taking up coaching and refereeing. The number of female coaches being developed rose by 88 per cent between 2020 and 2024, while the number of female referees increased by 113 per cent.
 
The girls’ talent pathway has been completely overhauled since the launch of the strategy, with the aim of making the professional game more accessible and inclusive. 73 Emerging Talent Centres have been established to offer localised, high-quality training environments, which has led to significant increases in players from underrepresented groups (127 per cent) and economically deprived areas (112 per cent) being able to access the pathway. 

The introduction of the Discover My Talent programme ensures any talented girl, from any background, can be referred onto the England radar, while the 21 Professional Game Academies are delivering crucial work to prepare young players for senior football.

The duration of the strategy has coincided with exponential growth across the domestic women’s leagues and competitions. The Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final has sold out at Wembley Stadium connected by EE for the last two seasons and the competition has received record levels of investment. 

Attendances in the Barclays Women’s Super League are up 239 per cent since 2021 and it has also become the most socially followed women’s league in the world. 

The end of Inspiring Positive Change coincides with the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship moving away from the FA to become its own independent entity with the successful establishment of Women’s Professional Leagues Limited.

Baroness Sue Campbell, The FA's Director of Women’s Football, said: “It is remarkable what has been achieved in just four years across all levels, with more women and girls stepping forward to play, coach, officiate and participate as fans. But there is still more work to be done for the sport to reach the heights we know it can grow to.
 
“It is our continued mission to increase diversity and make the women’s game an accurate representation of our society. We’re seeing an improvement, but we cannot rest on our laurels and we need to ensure every woman and girl, regardless of their background, can access football and enjoy the benefits it brings. There is every reason to be excited about where our game goes next, and I cannot wait to see where we will be in another four years’ time.”
 
The FA’s new women’s and girls’ strategy will be released in the near future.