Recognising & Empowering Women in Junior Football Clubs – Event Recap

On Wednesday 29th October, the SMJFL hosted a landmark event dedicated to recognising and empowering women in junior football clubs. The evening, facilitated by Jules Hay, brought together club leaders, coaches, and volunteers to discuss the challenges women and girls face in football and to identify practical solutions for creating more inclusive and supportive environments.

The evening began with a workshop designed to empower women as leaders, providing participants with tools, strategies and confidence to step into coaching, committee and leadership roles. Attendees shared their experiences and explored ways to break down barriers that often prevent women from taking on visible positions within clubs.

A key component of the event was giving women the opportunity to provide feedback on the strategic direction of women and girls’ contributions within the SMJFL. This open forum allowed participants to highlight the barriers they encounter, from cultural and structural challenges to issues of confidence, time and facilities, and to propose solutions that can be implemented at both club and league level.

The highlight of the evening was a Q&A panel featuring female club representatives, who shared their personal journeys, challenges and successes in football.

The panel included:

• Lori Embelton — Girls Football Coordinator, East Malvern JFC

• Kirsten Pilatti — President, Bentleigh JFC

• Martha Cantwell — Regional Development Coach (Girls), Sandringham Dragons

• De’arne Whitfield — Secretary, Waverley Park Hawks JFC

Their stories provided inspiration and practical advice, reinforcing the importance of visibility, mentorship and cultural change in driving progress.

The evening concluded with a formal certificate presentation, acknowledging and celebrating the valued contributions of all participants. This recognition underscored the SMJFL’s commitment to ensuring that women and girls are not only included but empowered to lead and shape the future of junior football.

From the discussions, six consistent themes emerged:

• Culture and respect

• Confidence and leadership barriers

• Access, opportunity and retention

• Community and engagement

• Time, volunteering and work‑life balance

• Health, safety, facilities and policy shortcomings

Participants also identified practical enablers, including stronger leadership and visibility, targeted education and mentoring, by‑law and policy reviews, improved facilities, volunteer support, and incentives for clubs that champion women and girls.

At the SMJFL, we’re committed to continuing to grow and strengthen our work in the women and girls’ space. We’re currently in the process of establishing a Women and Girls Working Group for 2026, which will focus on developing strategies to enhance participation, leadership, and visibility of women and girls right across our league.

We’re also planning to make celebrating our women and girls an annual event, aligning it with our Women and Girls Round, a time dedicated to recognising achievements, sharing stories, and driving positive change together.

In addition, we’re undertaking a comprehensive analysis of our by-laws to identify ways we can continue to support and promote the participation of girls throughout the SMJFL.

Recently, we also met with a delegation of club representatives and received some excellent feedback about the current landscape and future of girls’ football. That feedback is already helping shape our direction and priorities moving forward.

The event demonstrated the depth of knowledge and passion across our clubs and the strong willingness to act. With the guidance of Jules Hay, the insights of our panellists, and the contributions of all participants, the SMJFL has taken another important step toward making junior football safer, fairer and more welcoming for women and girls.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed - together, we are building a stronger future for football.