Collective Conversation: Imagining the World for Women and Girls

Momentum is rising. Unprecedented cultural attention has pushed women and girls’ sport into the spotlight and onto a new trajectory. In the commercial sector we are seeing record crowds, record investments, record viewing figures, record transfer fees, record commercial deals, alongside new research, new data, new strategies. At policy level, we are experiencing some of the biggest opportunities for change right now, from the National Curriculum review, to the introduction of the government’s Women’s Sport Taskforce.

Within this thrilling landscape of milestones and activity, many organisations want to know how to be part of the movement. Others might simply feel the pressure to ‘keep up’, or fear the public backlash of ‘getting it wrong’. As corporates and NGOs rush to launch the next big campaign, or sign up the services of a megastar Ilona Maher or Lioness affiliation, Affleck & Co invites you to pause and ask: what is your vision for women and girls’ sport? Where are you trying to get to?  

Because, among the dizzying headlines, we don’t always see the impact land in day to day life. There are questions to be asked, such as, ‘how deeply does this movement reach?’, ‘is everyone included?’ or ‘how sustainable is this trajectory?’ or, simply, ‘to what extent are we changing the culture?’

If a nine year old girl plays sport at school one day, we mark it down in the data as a win. But if she’s last to be picked for the team, no one passes her the ball, the coach routinely shouts at everyone, or it’s only fun when they’re winning, have we created a lifelong love of sport in that child?

If a family decides they would like to watch women’s sport, but struggles to find out when it’s on, how to buy tickets, or a realistic way to travel there and watch it, are we nurturing fandom in the women’s game? How about consumers? Can you buy your sports-mad friend a women’s sports greeting card? How about a t-shirt? Or stickers? How easy is it to buy a sports bra, football boots, or merchandise for your favourite women’s sport? What about going into a bookshop? Or finding documentaries and feature films on TV?

When we think about women’s sport are we describing something homogenous? Or are we designing for the broad and exciting spectrum of all women: all genders, cultures, abilities, orientations, families, faiths, geographies, ages, bodies, interests?

When we design for women’s sport, to what extent are we following a template for men’s sport, and adding adaptations on for women? If we started with a blank sheet of paper and redesigned everything, whilst honouring tradition and early adopter culture… what vision might we end up with?

As women’s sport moves at this extraordinary pace…  across boardrooms, community halls, research calls, networking events, and strategy days, there is a familiar mix of energy and uncertainty around these questions. Most people want change, but is there a shared vision that describes the world we need to build for women and girls with vivid clarity? 

The legendary author Toni Morrison said, “If you can’t imagine it, you can’t have it”. She was right. Imagination is essential for transformation. If we can picture a future where girls and women move with freedom, safety, confidence, and joy, then the work to get there becomes sharper, braver, and more coherent. Action must flow from vision. And that vision must be shared.

Many organisations care deeply, yet still design for girls and women as if they are outliers. Lived experience is gathered, then softened or set aside. Safety is treated as a compliance issue rather than a condition for growth, ambition, and flourishing. 

This is where our collective comes alive. We help leaders find clarity, we listen intently, and support organisations to design systems and cultures and practices that match their ambition for women and girls. We bring strategy, insight, and learning together so teams can move with purpose and not drift with the tide. Progress needs alignment, evidence, and imagination. We help create the conditions where all three can take root.

We believe progress will prosper when the sector comes together and chooses a clear vision of the world as it should be for girls and women. We believe in building with courage, creativity, and consistency. And we would love to help you do the same in your organisations and with your teams, too.

If you’re working through these questions in your own organisation, shaping a new strategy, exploring your role in women and girls’ sport, or simply trying to make sense of where to focus: we’re here for those conversations. Get in touch at hello@affleckandco.com if you want a thought partner to help you cut through the noise and build something that genuinely moves the dial.

This Collective Conversation piece is written by Mandu Reid, Senior Consultant and Anna Kessell, Subject Matter Expert - Affleck & Co.