Women in Sport Panel
News
BSU highlights Women in Sport with exclusive panel for International Women's Week
Monday, 3 March, 2025As International Women’s Day approaches, Bath Spa University is celebrating female empowerment throughout the week, marking International Women’s Week at BSU.
One of the highlight events of the week is a specially curated ‘Women in Sport’ panel, featuring prominent names in sports and media in the South West and offering a chance for in-depth discussion.
Tickets for the panel are free but bookings are encouraged. You can get your tickets via Ticketsource. The event will also be livestreamed for those who want to join online.
2023 saw record-breaking TV audiences for women’s sport, thanks in part to the England women’s football team’s performance at the World Cup. Women’s sport in the UK, excluding global tournaments, achieved its most-watched year ever in 2024, with 44.7 million viewers tuning in, according to a new Women’s Sport Trust report. With the rise of the women’s game in mind, the panel will discuss sporting progressions and equality within the media space.
The panel will be hosted by freelance journalist and former BBC broadcaster Ali Vowles, and consists of 5 speakers. The first speaker is BSU Student Ambassador and first year Sports Media Production student Madi Taylor, who was recently interviewed by ITV to discuss the balance of female representation in the sports media landscape. Another speaker – and someone who has been flying the flag in the space for some time – is Bath Spa University lecturer Lizzie Powell, who has worked on key sporting events for channels like the BBC and has been lecturing at BSU for nearly a decade.
The panel will also welcome three external speakers. Bath City Football Club Women’s team captain Tara Taylor joins the panel with years of experience in the game and will be sharing her insight on how it has developed throughout her time playing. Sheridan Robins, Head of Communications for Bristol City Football Club will also be speaking about her experience in the sports media side, moving from a trailblazing commentator at the BBC to a key part of one of the South West’s biggest football clubs.
Last but not least is Chloe Watts of Her Game Too. Her Game Too was formed in 2021 to support female football fans who had received sexist abuse at matches. The campaign has since expanded into countless other sports and Chloe will be giving insight into the importance of the work done in the stands and behind the scenes.
Speaking about the panel, organiser and BSU Women’s Network co-chair Amethyst Biggs commented:
“This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Accelerate Action,’ and we wanted to create an event to celebrate and empower women, but also allow space to talk about women’s experiences and explore how we can make the – still very male dominated – arena of sport more welcoming and accessible for everyone. Our panellists come from various corners of the sport and sports media world, with a wealth of experience, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what all of these inspiring women have to say.”
The panel is open to staff and students and encourages questions and an opportunity to network. As a key part of the University calendar, this International Women’s Day inspired panel will critique the past, celebrate progression and ponder what more can be done in the future.
BSU students and staff are also invited to make history this weekend at Bath City FC, with the women’s team aiming to break their attendance record to mark International Women’s Day. You can get tickets for the match on the Bath City FC website.