Women’s sport is no longer just a movement but a powerhouse of progress, driven by those who refuse to accept the status quo. This International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the Action Groups, Campaigns and Communities driving real change. From pioneering athlete-led initiatives to media revolutions and game-changing leadership in traditionally male-dominated spaces, 2025 will be a defining year for women in sport.
This year, the focus of IWD is #AccelerateAction for gender equality. According to data from the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take over 133 years to reach full gender parity highlighting the importance of taking swift and decisive steps and calling for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, including women in sport.
The good news is that there is a growing and powerful force in the world of sports from groups throughout the sector who are championing women and taking huge leaps towards gender equality. One of these groups is the Women’s Multisport Action Group (WMAG) which launched in December 2024. Headed by Running Industry Alliance (RIA) CEO Rebecca Richardson and our very own Layla Smith, Founder and Managing Director of Aspire PR. The action group is an ambitious initiative with a core mission to drive positive change through advocacy and provide career support and progression through mentorship and networking opportunities for women within The Running Industry Alliance (RIA) and Triathlon Industry Association (TIA).
Rebecca Richardson from Running Industry Alliance said: “WMAG represents a new era of collaboration and empowerment for women in MultiSport and we believe that through advocacy and shared experiences, we can strengthen the voices of women and build a more inclusive future in this sector.”
Across industries, action groups, mentors, and trailblazers are pushing for commercial growth, increased visibility, and systemic change. Here, we take a deep dive into some of the other leading forces redefining the landscape of women’s sport right now.
Pioneering Athlete-Led Change
The Women’s Sports Alliance (WSA), founded by former footballer Jordan Guard, is a global force committed to elevating, informing, and uniting female athletes, global brands, and rights holders. What makes WSA unique is its athlete-first approach, designed by female athletes, for female athletes. WSA is not just about creating opportunities; it’s about commercially empowering female athletes in a way that ensures long-term growth and visibility. By bridging the gap between sponsorship, media, and sport, WSA is ensuring that women’s sport isn’t just part of the conversation, but it’s leading it.
No one embodies the spirit of breaking boundaries quite like Ilona Maher, a rising force in women’s rugby. Not only was her debut with the Bristol Bears at record numbers of nearly 10,000 fans in attendance, but her meteoric rise on social media, from approx 400K to over 4.7 million followers post-Paris 2024 (3.4 million followers on TikTok), is proof that there’s an insatiable appetite for women’s sport. Her recent interview on imposter syndrome, where she stated she simply doesn’t experience it, has resonated with thousands of female athletes and professionals. It’s a powerful message: women belong in sport, and they don’t need to prove it to anyone.
Using Science To Bridge The Knowledge Gap
The Well HQ is fighting back against the lack of data and research into how women work and function across various health and fitness disciplines. As a result, societal understanding isn’t where it needs to be. Founded by Scientist Dr Emma Ross, Sports Performance Coach Baz Moffat and GP Dr Bella Smith, the Well HQ offers resources built on cutting-edge science as well as community and support for women and those who work closely with women in sport to help bridge the knowledge gap. Their shared mission is to transform the experience in sport for girls and women so that they can become the architects of their own health, happiness and performance.
Changing the Narrative in Sports Media
The way women’s sport is covered is just as important as how it’s played. Molly McElwee, sports journalist and founder of the podcast ‘Off the Bench’, is putting the stories of trailblazing women front and centre. Her podcast brings athlete experiences, industry insights, and powerful conversations into the mainstream, highlighting voices that have often been sidelined in sports media.
Meanwhile, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates are making history as two of the next three confirmed presenters for BBC’s Match of the Day, a role that has long been considered a stronghold of male punditry. These appointments mark a seismic shift, proving that expertise in football transcends gender.
Campaigns Fostering Community
The 2024 Paris Olympics saw an equal number of men and women competing in the Summer Games for the first time in history. As a result, brands are choosing to align with the growing attention on women’s sports and its rising star athletes. A new survey conducted by the Women’s Sport Trust (WST) found that 80 percent of brands are likely to invest in sponsoring women’s sports over the next three years. But brand campaigns are not only focusing on purchase power but also on building powerful communities in women’s sport and championing the achievements of female athletes.
Last year Under Armour’s ‘I Will What I Want’ campaign, featuring soloist Ballerina Misty Copeland reminiscing about being rejected for having the ‘wrong body’ before she found career success, went viral with 4 million views in the first week. The Adidas ‘Fearless AF’ campaign chose to celebrate female runners in conjunction with the New York marathon, including Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon and Mary Keitany, the second fastest female marathon runner in history. This year, Sweaty Betty’s latest #DontSweatIt campaign highlights the pressure women often place on themselves in various aspects of life and invites women into a supportive community where they can move how they choose without fear of judgment. Similarly, as a continuation of Nike’s mission to invite more women into sport, the brand has announced its After Dark Tour, a unique series of nighttime run events designed to bring female runners together from across the globe, promoting a sense of community.
Grass Roots Community Champions
Some incredible grassroots community groups are breaking down barriers for women, in particular those from ethnic minority and socioeconomic minority backgrounds. These grassroots clubs offer more than just community, they represent a movement which harnesses the power of the people to foster significant changes to perception, participation and achievements for women in sport. One of these groups is Black Girls Do Run UK, formed in 2019 after an experience at a running event where the group’s Founder, Tasha, was asked by a marshal if she was taking part despite wearing the official event bib. It was at this moment she realised something needed to change.
Tasha Thompson, Founder of Black Girls Do Run UK said: “Black women are well represented at elite level running but, the more I thought about it, I realised they weren’t at all at grassroots level. There are a multitude of reasons for this – body image, confidence, safety, not feeling like a real runner and not seeing anyone who looks similar to you. I’ve experienced this first hand so I wanted Black Girls Do Run UK to be different and to encourage, motivate and inspire more non-elite black women to run.”
On a larger scale, This Woman Runs is the world’s largest digital and in-person running community for women and hosts weekly social runs across the UK. Founded by Mel Bound, what started as a local women’s running group in Bristol in 2014, has evolved into a powerful, global movement for over a quarter of a million women. Taking a group from grassroots level to a globally dominating presence, demonstrates the impact of these communities to empower millions of women to feel great about themselves just through moving more. A force to be reckoned with in women’s sport.
It’s not just in the world of running that we are seeing the impact of community groups, with hiking communities popping up all over the UK, championing diversity and ensuring that women can feel seen and represented. One of these is The Wanderlust Women which was born out of the need to normalise Muslim women exploring and being visible in the great outdoors. Several of these groups are also creating change on a social level, including Boot Women, an LGBTQ+ women’s walking group based in Birmingham which often uses their treks as an opportunity to raise funds for Women’s Aid and Wild Women, a ‘hike to help’ group dedicated to raising awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK which works with anti-slavery charity Unseen.
Building Pathways for Women
Uplift, founded by Rachel Burnside, is tackling one of the biggest barriers to entry in the cycling industry: Mentorship and Leadership. The initiative provides structured support to help women break into cycling at both grassroots and elite levels. It’s a game-changer for an industry that has long struggled with gender balance, offering direct pathways to leadership and professional success.
Similarly, the Fearless Women’s Sport Collective, led by Sue Anstiss, has become a powerhouse in networking and advocacy. The partnership with Sky Sports has further amplified the voices of women in sport, ensuring that media representation doesn’t just highlight the game, but also the women driving it forward.
In football, the Women’s Professional League (WPLL) is reshaping the commercial and structural future of the women’s game. Ruth Hooper, CMO of the women’s professional game, has been instrumental in ensuring that clubs, brands, and fans are investing in women’s football for the long haul, proving that it’s not just about parity but creating a sustainable, thriving ecosystem for female athletes.
Breaking Barriers and Levelling the Playing Field
Women are largely underrepresented at endurance running events and only 30% of ultra runners are female. The Threshold Trail Series Ultra 50:50 Initiative seeks to set new industry standards to inspire, empower and enable women to take part in ultramarathon events. This year they are taking things one step further with their 500 Trailblazers Campaign to give women the confidence and knowledge to tackle their first ultramarathon. Alongside this, a brand new first-of-a-kind White Paper has been published by Threshold and SheRACES to evaluate the impact of their Ultra 50:50 Initiative and share the benefits of investment in gender parity in ultra-distance trail running events.
SheRACES exists to help event organisers understand how to make their events more inclusive and is campaigning for this to become the norm. At the end of last year, they launched the first female trail ultra series with a focus on reducing barriers to participation. Their races purposefully have easy public transport access to major cities, after identifying that the majority of women of colour live in urban areas and access to trails is a significant barrier.
Similarly, Here for the Women’s Race is a movement ensuring that women’s cycling races get the coverage, sponsorship, and legitimacy they deserve. These initiatives are about levelling the playing field not just in participation, but in perception.
Redefining What’s Possible in Women’s Sport
Last September saw the inaugural RAISE Global Women’s Sport Conference hosted by Google London. The two-day conference brought together decision-makers in sport to debate why women are still underrepresented in leadership positions and discuss opportunities to change this. Events like RAISE are an important platform to bring passionate and empowered women together in a safe space to discuss the important and sometimes difficult issues to create positive change in women’s sport. These conversations are crucial to shine a spotlight on women’s sport to continue to build momentum and break down boundaries to ensure the narrative continues to evolve.
We are also seeing a rise in women not just participating in sport, but designing the stadiums, training centres, and fan experiences that shape them. Populous is a global architectural and design firm known for creating some of the world’s most iconic sporting venues including The Sphere, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wembley, and The O2. Inclusivity is a central theme to their work regarding women’s sport, focusing on reimagining the fan experience to reflect the needs of female audiences better. They are also passionate about making training facilities more supportive of women’s health and lifestyle considerations. This includes environments that will support the needs of menstrual cycles, offer childcare facilities and changing rooms that are safe, and comfortable, and prioritise privacy.
What’s Next?
With athletes, journalists, executives, and community leaders working together, women’s sport is reaching new heights commercially, culturally, and competitively. The industry is no longer asking for equal footing, it’s taking it. The next question isn’t whether women’s sport will continue to grow, it’s how much bigger can it get?
Clare Probyn, an Advisory Board Member of the Women’s Sport Alliance commented: “The progress we’re witnessing in 2025 is the result of years of persistence, strategic partnerships, and unwavering belief in women’s sport. This isn’t just a moment, it’s a movement that is shaping the future of female participation, growth and ambition in sport for generations to come.”
Layla Smith, Founder & MD of Aspire PR added: “I’m delighted to see that the work of many great individuals, groups and campaigns is having such a positive impact on the industry. Through my work with WMAG and the brands we represent at Aspire, I’m passionate about fostering confidence, boosting representation and promoting growth for women. By celebrating and collaborating with others who are driving real change, we can work together to create an even bigger impact.”
Thank you to Clare Probyn, Rebecca Richardson, Tasha Thompson and Layla Smith for contributing to this feature. Edited by Lotty Campbell Bird.
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