An Ode to She

International Women’s Day 2024 

The script is changing. As Chloe Kelly iconically wheeled away from her 110’ minute winner at Wembley in the Euros Final of the summer of ’22, the pendulum swung in the world of women’s football. But it could be argued the impact was felt beyond sport. Women were put on a pedestal, no longer an afterthought or a background shadow, but they could in fact be the main character and unite a nation with their talent, drive and determination. 

Almost two years on, and the seeds of that fateful day in June continue to blossom. Here at SWM we are reflecting on the amazing leaps that women have made in the past few years, not only in sport, but across global industries, learning and earning the right to live without limitations. 

Last summer we featured the influential Alisha Lehmann on our Issue 41 cover as SWM’s First Lady, a powerful figure in women’s football and a trailblazing businesswoman. As a company, we enjoyed some incredible experiences – our female marketing team headed to the SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain, one of the world’s best health and wellness retreats, and worked closely with a valued selection of our female-led partners to bring their creative visions to life through immersive content creation. 

A timely arrival, the much-anticipated film COPA 71 is released on International Women’s Day 2024 – a documentary film that unearths the incredible story of the Women’s Football World Cup that was held in Mexico City in August 1971, but was written out of history because of the widespread misogyny and prejudice in the world of football. Featuring archive footage, it has been produced by tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams and the story is told by the pioneering women who competed in the tournament. 

Not only is the film remarkable for retelling an incredible story and helping female athletes find their rightful place in history, but it shows how women can forge their own paths to success and follow their dreams at any age. The Williams sisters are multi-major-winning tennis players and will go down in folklore as legends of the game, but this marks a rebirth of their careers as executive film producers – a distinctive shift that smashes the glass ceiling and opens the door to full creative freedom for women. 

As we embark on another exciting year at SWM, we look forward to further championing more amazing women. Our team is made of incredible, creative, talented and inspiring females, our partners are proud to have women in positions of power and the future of women in sport looks bright.