Significant Progress in Girls’ Football Participation in England

Kelly Smith scored 46 goals in 117 appearances for England between 1995 and 2013.

Former Arsenal and England forward Kelly Smith expressed her excitement at witnessing the increased opportunities for schoolgirls to play football, something she yearned for during her childhood.

On Thursday, the Football Association (FA) announced that it has reached its target of ensuring that 90% of schools in England provide girls with equal access to football in physical education (PE) lessons, three years ahead of the initial deadline set for 2028. This achievement is part of the FA’s broader strategy to promote equal opportunities for women and girls in football.

The Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools initiative, which commenced six years ago with 3,000 participating schools, has now expanded to include 20,202 schools.

Additionally, the FA reported that 2.6 million girls now have equal access to football in PE classes, representing a 31% increase since the 2020-21 season.

Smith recounted her own challenges, saying, “I was kicked off a boys’ team for being the wrong sex. So it gives me goosebumps thinking about it because now so many girls have the opportunity to play football if they want. In PE, I never had that. I had to fight my way to try and play on a team. We had to change in the car because all the boys’ changing rooms were taken up with their bags and shirts hanging up.”

The FA attributes the success to the home victory of the Lionesses at Euro 2022, which played a significant role in influencing government discussions and advancing policy changes.

Sarina Wiegman’s championship team also signed an open letter addressed to then Conservative party leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, advocating for every young girl to have the opportunity to play football at school.

Currently, 90% of schools offer girls equal access to football in PE lessons during Key Stages 2 (ages 7-11) and 3 (ages 11-14).

Ian Wright, former England and Arsenal striker, noted, “This was never about girls becoming the next Lionesses; it was about normalizing girls playing football, just like boys do. It’s about equality.”

Following their Euro 2022 triumph at Wembley, England advanced to the Women’s World Cup final in 2023, ultimately losing to Spain. However, they bounced back to defeat Spain and reclaim their European title in July.

Stacey Mullock, the head of development at the FA, emphasized, “No girl should ever face barriers to playing football in school. That belief drove us to set ambitious targets and advocate for a cultural shift where girls have the same access and opportunities as boys.”

Nevertheless, the FA acknowledged that there is still work to be done, particularly concerning Key Stage 4 (ages 14-16), where many teenage girls cease participating in team sports due to issues like confidence, body image, and negative perceptions.

The governing body also aims to increase the percentage of schools offering equal opportunities through extra-curricular clubs from 83% to 90% by 2028.