Sheffield Wednesday's Women's Supporters Group (SWFCWSG) have today (March 8) launched a brand-new #KeepingScore campaign to celebrate International Women's Day.
The Owls take on Championship high-flyers Leeds United this evening at the Hillsborough Stadium, and the #KeepingScore message will be displayed throughout the ground as well as on the pre-match shirts of the players.
#KeepingScore campaign launched by SWFCWSG
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What is #KeepingScore?
In this sense, SCORE is in fact an acronym, and stands for ‘Safe Communities of Respect and Equality' within football. The campaign has been launched to celebrate International Women's Day and has the support of similar initiatives such as ‘HerGameToo' and ‘Fans for Diversity'.
Accompanying activities
Along with the launching of the camping itself, there will also be a wide array of activities and initiatives put into place to ensure it is able to effectively make a difference. These include:
- The SWFCWSG Away Day Network – a system which allow for a far improved experience for match-going fans.
- ‘Women At Wednesday’ – a string of interviews and other pieces of work dedicated to highlighting the important contributions of women associated with Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.
- A new report put into place with the aim of exploring the exact issues that women contend with on a regular basis at football matches.
- Working with the club in order to potentially become the first club outside of the Premier League to commit to the Women and Girls’ Night Time Charter
- Officially partnering with the HerGameToo movement during the week of International Women's Day
Why has #KeepingScore been launched?
In short, #KeepingScore has been launched because, despite progress being made in regard to gender equality within the sport of football, there is far more work to be done before the issue has been solved.
This was echoed by the Sheffield Wednesday Women's Supporters Group, which explained that “within the realm of football, despite considerable strides, persistent challenges such as discrimination and sexism continue to mar the landscape, with a staggering 91.9% bearing witness to sexist abuse online directed towards women in football.”
A positive reaction from fans
The campaign has been met with widespread positivity, with many fans excited to see how the campaign will improve the matchday experience for women. One supporter took to X, formerly Twitter, to say “The away day network is going to be ace”, while another added that they “love” the ‘Women at Wednesday' series.