The Premier League Charitable Fund and Professional Game Match Officials Limited joined forces at the National Football Museum in Manchester last week week to celebrate women's success in football.
The Premier League Changemakers event, which involved former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Chloe Morgan and former referee Rebecca Welch donating shirts to the museum's iconic Football Heritage Collection in recognition of their inspiring contribution to the game, had representatives from across the world of football come together to explore ways to continue to recognise the achievements of women.
And as part of our coverage of International Women's Day on 8 March, Premier League Changemakers participants and trailblazers within the football industry reflect on a special day.
Sahira, Preston North End Community and Education Trust participant
"We're here to make a change for women's football. I hope events like this make women's football better known and the younger generation more interested in football and get them playing too. It's an important subject to me as football is not just a men's game, it's a women's game as well. Being a Premier League Changemaker makes me feel proud.
"I've been playing football since I was six or seven years old. I just started kicking a ball around the house and playing in the garden. When I was in primary school, it just used to be me and a couple of boys on a team playing a five-a-side match.
"Chloe Morgan is a great goalkeeper and lots of girls who are goalkeepers aspire to be like her. I'm a goalkeeper too so she is inspiring and builds confidence in me.
"The message on her shirt is 'Changemakers' and she's made a change in history. She’s a role model to upcoming female football players. Role models are important, they help people build confidence. They also inspire future generations about what they want to be when they are older."
Rebecca Welch
"Premier League Changemakers was a programme that was brought in when I worked for the Premier League Charitable Fund. It supports and empowers young women to come in and be leaders and it's absolutely fantastic.
"You see some of the girls here, they come and speak to you and they have that air of confidence. You can see that we are going to make some really good leaders out of this programme.
"A 15-year-old Rebecca never thought she would be stood here. It's unbelievable. Time has gone by so fast. I had a big passion for football growing up. Through refereeing I've been able to see some of the biggest crowds in the world, ref some of the best players in the world. Teenager Rebecca would've never believed that was possible."
Read more from Rebecca here.
Ashley Hodson, former Liverpool Women's player and PFA Community Liaison Executive
"Today's been amazing. All the young people that we've seen, the inspiring women within the game, hearing from the panel, for me it was an amazing event to come to. And I'm really, really glad that we could have PFA representation here to network with people and listen to the experiences of women in sport and how amazing they've been for the game. It’s really good for us to hear from an ex-player's point of view, but also from a referee's point of view. It was a really great day.
"I think it's important that the young people from Premier League Changemakers are here too because ultimately, they are the future, they are aspiring to work within the game, or play the game, and looking to achieve their dreams. And I think for them to be able to see such successful women here today, not only Rebecca and Chloe but many other people is brilliant. There are so many opportunities within sport, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to play on the pitch.
"The more that we see people, women especially, achieving success in sport, the more likely other people are to want to achieve it themselves. And I think for me that young people looking up and aspiring to be like these role models here today is amazing. It really can push them on to become what they want to be."
Ruth Shaw OBE, Premier League Charitable Fund Chief Executive
"Rebecca and Chloe's stories are incredible, because these are people who are really down to earth, and they blaze a trail. They've championed change. And they've really succeeded in their fields. What that tells me is that it's possible for anyone if you work hard, if you really have a dream that you want to follow, Rebecca and Chloe are proof that's possible.
"I think we should be celebrating women's role in football every day of the year. The game is what it is because of all the talent, all the skills and that's regardless of gender.
"It really matters that everyone has the opportunity to succeed and that there's a place in football for everyone. Whether that's about creating equality of opportunity or equality of recognition, everyone has a place in football and everyone should be able to play, to lead, belong and thrive.
"Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. So, what we're doing through Premier League Changemakers is creating those opportunities for girls and young women to see their own potential and fulfil it. And that could be meeting new friends, stretching themselves outside their comfort zone, learning skills on and off the pitch. There's a bright future for any girl or young woman who wants to work in football in so many different ways.
"We want girls and young women to know that there's a place in football for them. We want them to have the skills to succeed and opportunity to play football, have fun, meet friends and be part of the beautiful game."
Yvie, Manchester United Foundation (pictured left)
"This event is about showing young people that we are capable of doing things that other women have done in football. The story behind the shirt was how Chloe was playing for Spurs and how they got promoted to the Women's Super League. It was a really special moment for Spurs and especially for her. For me to be able to sign it is fantastic. It's history.
"Being a Premier League Changemaker is brilliant. It shows how young people can have a voice and how we can make a difference and how capable we are.
"It's so important to have female role models because it shows how far you can go in life. My role model is definitely my mum because she is such a powerful woman.
"Having young people here, especially girls, promotes the fact that we can build gender equality, especially in football. It feels good knowing I can have a part in making a difference to women's football."
Chloe Morgan
"I was part of the Premier League Changemakers event that took place early last year and I was able to speak to some of the young people about their experiences in football, what they want to achieve in football, their ambitions, and it was amazing to see so much confidence.
"To have some of them sign my shirt as well it's unreal for me. There are so many signatures on that shirt and a lot of those are from people who will be leaders in the space, whether that's leaders on the pitch, leaders off the pitch, leaders in boardrooms, leaders in communities, leaders in grassroots football, and I think we're going to see a lot of those names starting to come to the forefront in the future.
"I feel very honoured that they've signed the shirt. It's a collaboration of my history in the game and their future history going forward."
Read more from Chloe here.
Fran Kitching, former Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Sheffield United goalkeeper and PFA EDI Player Services Executive
"Hearing from young girls about their experience in the game is the only way forward, really. I think as the women's game adapts, we've got to hear from these young people about what they want to change to make the women's game even more aspirational.
"When I was in the game, I was probably deemed a bit of a troublemaker for speaking my mind and wanting to improve things for players. But I think ultimately you have to have people like that in organisations otherwise things don't change. You have to have those difficult conversations.
"I think the main thing is the visibility piece and these young girls seeing that these things are achievable for them, while also being able to use their voices positively, and actually be being heard rather than just giving their opinion and nothing actually actioned from that.
"I think events like this, hosted by the Premier League, can be really powerful. It shows a visibility to the young girls that are here today, seeing the role models and events like this that they can come to and be part of."
About Premier League Changemakers
Premier League Changemakers is a leadership activity for girls and young women participating on the Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires programmes.
Funded by the Premier League through the Premier League Charitable Fund, the activity is for 11-to-18-year-olds and is delivered by more than 40 professional football club charities.