At Chelsea, we are taking demonstrable action in the progression of gender equality within the world of football and beyond, and we are striving to better meet the needs of the women in our world - creating a place where they are understood, empowered and given the opportunity to thrive.

The path of womanhood holds different cycles... phases... seasons...

Empowering women through the different stages of womanhood and enabling them to shape this game is what we are about.

You can follow our International Women’s Day activities across our social platforms @ChelseaFCW, @ChelseaFC and @CFCFoundation.

#GiveToGain

This year, Chelsea Foundation is celebrating International Women’s Day through the theme #GiveToGain, honouring those who have paved the way for girls to succeed while reflecting on how others can do the same.

This was launched at Cobham with 25 women and girls from the Foundation’s Inspire Her programme and Adapted Sports walking football team, plus students from St Mary’s University Twickenham.

The event was a powerful intergenerational experience focused on mentorship and role models. Participants took part in a workshop where they wrote two pledges: a piece of advice to give back to others, and a reflection on a time someone ‘gave’ to them so they could ‘gain’.

These moving pledges were shared with the group and surprise guests Sam Kerr and Kadeisha Buchanan, who joined the session to offer their own insights. The day ended on the pitch, with our walking footballers teaching the younger participants the game before everyone - including Sam and Kadeisha - joined in to play a match.

Building on this success, the #GiveToGain workshop will be delivered across the Foundation’s Health & Wellbeing, Education, Community and Futures strands, with the aim of reaching as many participants as possible, celebrating the legacy of those who have supported women and inspiring the next generation to give something back.

Empowering women within Chelsea FC

To mark International Women’s Day last year, the club introduced a Women’s Empowerment Network as both a space for women within the organisation to form connections and a forum for the issues affecting women in the business.

Social gatherings have been part of the activity since the launch event and this week, to mark the first anniversary of the start of the network, there will be a discussion panel exploring the full spectrum of women's health in practical ways for women who work in football, with esteemed guests imparting their insight on how a better understanding of women’s health can contribute to a more inclusive working environment.

Every journey in this game starts somewhere

Today, to launch our build-up to International Women’s Day 2026, there is a special video which can be watched below. It features people across the club, including players, fans, staff and participants on Foundation programmes, and details Chelsea’s commitment to empowering women.