Our one-day Women in Football Research Conference returns for its second year at TU Dublin’s Tallaght Campus. Hosted by TU Dublin’s School of Media’s Shamrock Rovers in the Community Research team, in partnership with Shamrock Rovers F.C. and supported by the TU Dublin Culture & Society Research Hub and Coimisiún na Meán (Ireland’s Media Regulator), this year’s conference aims to bring together researchers, journalists, football practitioners, policymakers, sporting organisations, supporters, and community groups to explore the impact and achievements of those reformers, activists, leaders and agents of change who have shaped the contemporary women’s game.
Throughout the history of the game, progress has often been driven by individuals and organisations willing to challenge existing structures, take risks, experiment with new ideas, and imagine alternative futures. From grassroots initiatives and community activism to media innovation, leadership, governance reform, and commercial investment, women’s football continues to be shaped by people prepared to push boundaries.
We would like to invite you to submit proposals related to the conference theme which consider and interrogate progress and change in the women’s football game, within but not limited to, the following categories:
- Progressive challengers to female under-representation and visibility in football culture and media,
- Community and grassroots participation pathways – advocates and leaders,
- Inclusion and barriers to engagement, reformers and activists broadening equality, diversity, and inclusion across women’s football contexts,
- Development pathways: standard-bearers in coaching, education, and player development practices in the women’s game,
- Leaders, activists and standout figures in the volunteer, supporter, fan and wider football communities,
- Business and the women’s game: key personnel in PR, branding, communications, and sponsorships,
- Advocates and standard-setting practitioners, in women’s football health, wellbeing, and athlete welfare,
- Historically significant testimonies, personal and club histories,
- Football for all – Those tackling prejudices in football,
- Football for life – Older women and the game,
- Leadership, governance, and decision-making in women’s football,
- Women’s Football and World Politics – Activism and Reform,
- Shooting stars: the future of women’s football in Ireland and internationally.
We welcome proposals for individual papers (15 minutes), or panels (45–60 minutes), practice-based presentations, industry case studies, or roundtable discussions.
Consistent with the ethos of the conference, we welcome submissions from both academic and non-academic contributors. We recognise that valuable knowledge about women’s football is generated not only through formal research, but also through journalism, coaching, policymaking, administration, community engagement, and lived experience. We therefore encourage proposals from scholars, practitioners, policymakers, athletes, coaches, supporters, journalists, club officials, and representatives of sporting organisations.
- Please send proposals (max. 250 words), including the name of the speaker, a brief speaker biography (max. 80 words), the title of the proposal or panel and full contact details through the submission portal available here: https://tinyurl.com/WiFConf2026
- Deadline for submissions is 5pm on September 18, Notification of acceptance of proposals will be issued by October 3rd, 2026, with further details regarding conference registration, including fees and accommodation links will follow in late September.
- If you have any enquiries, please feel free to get in touch with any member of the Conference organising team: Dr Glenn Doyle (glenn.doyle@tudublin.ie), Anna Maria Mullally (anna-maria.mullally@tudublin.ie), or Alan Fitzpatrick (fitzpatrick@tudublin.ie).
