COMMENT - What happens when everyone finally plays along: Football, of all things, shows how equality can work

The past few weeks have shifted something: an exceptional situation has become normal. Women are playing football – and everyone is watching. More than 600,000 spectators watched the European Championship matches live in Switzerland, and several million watched on television. Some female footballers, who are or were accustomed to playing in front of a few thousand or even just a few hundred people, were moved to tears.

The public attention is the result of an ideal constellation: a tournament in their own country, tickets were affordable, the Swiss women were successful , the weather was good, the atmosphere was thrilling, the standard was high, and the event was widely visible. But the success of the Women's European Football Championship is much more than good timing and good marketing; it is also the result of a struggle spanning over a century. And proof: If you want it and have the patience, you can.

The 2025 Women's European Football Championship is a story of liberation – from prejudice, prohibitions, and obstruction. The transformation of a niche phenomenon into a mainstream product took place, of all places, in the archaic and male-dominated world of football.

How does this work? And what can we learn from it about equality?

Since Donald Trump came to power in the United States, equality concerns have fallen out of favor. For large companies, it has become unattractive or even damaging to their business to expose themselves through diversity programs. Indeed, the effectiveness of such activities is questionable because people's attitudes and behavior are very difficult to change. Most of the time, it's purely about image building. Nevertheless, the careless withdrawal of many companies from their commitments to equality sent a clear signal: backlash.

Some men seemed to welcome developments in America. From now on, they claimed, performance would count again. A crucial fact was often overlooked in this discussion: performance can only be truly measured when everyone starts at the same point, when everyone has the same opportunities. This point is far from being reached. There is ample evidence of this: Women's wages are lower. After they have children, their income drops significantly. The higher the management position, the fewer the positions are held by women.

Such inequalities can't be changed through educational workshops. What would be crucial, however, are a few changes to the rules to make the game fairer. The most important one: creating access for everyone. Only when everyone can participate can the greatest talent be discovered—and that's entirely in keeping with the spirit of liberal competition.

However, just a few decades ago, no one would have even noticed the talents of women like Sidney Schertenleib, Lia Wälti, or Géraldine Reuteler. Although the first women's football matches were played in England at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, women who wanted to play football suffered severe setbacks for a hundred years afterward: For example, the English Football Association soon banned its members from playing games with or against women, so as not to impair their "fertility."

Protecting female fertility is an argument that has been repeated throughout history to discourage women from participating in sports, professional activities, or political activities. Along with a range of other bizarre justifications: women are not suited to physical or mental activity, competition is not in keeping with their nature, and it prevents them from fulfilling their role as a kind mother. These stereotypes remain deeply entrenched to this day.

For those men who have always been granted their place in sports, in their careers, and in society, the arguments were and are practical: They have to share their power with fewer others. And they can, unhindered, do what, as a human reflex, is not even to be resented: promote those who are similar to them.

For women, however, these old arguments and images often place them in an impossible dilemma. To be seen, they must assert themselves and be demanding, carving out a place for themselves in the male world with a certain toughness. At the same time, they break with the expectations implicitly or explicitly placed on them: to be harmonious, quiet, attractive, and grateful.

The female footballers at this year's European Championship presented themselves with a reassuring sense of self-confidence and skillfully managed to shape a new image of women – without sacrificing feminine characteristics and traits: They fought hard and played fair, they supported each other and embraced each other. They wore rainbow armbands as representatives of a milieu in which homosexuals have always had a place. Thus, they stood for a genuine interpersonal tolerance and a peaceful atmosphere that is often lacking in men's football.

The women skillfully played the big stage : they wore long ponytails with their shorts, they braided their hair, painted their nails, wore make-up or deliberately didn't wear it, they shared their lives on social media, talked about their love for other women and men. Some had small children and had great careers and used the camera to zoom in on them. The women proved that they could go their own way - and that this path was absolutely suitable for the masses. In this way they had become role models, a matter of course in the best sense of the word. This visibility is important for sponsors, but also for girls and young women who can now see what is possible for them.

Female footballers are reaping recognition for their tenacity. They and their champions have fought for over a century: against exclusion from football, against poor working conditions, against wage discrimination, and against the loss of their already reduced income when they became mothers. They have had to endure unwanted male kisses , malice, recurring prejudice, rejection, and hostility.

Of course, the world is still far from being a good and just place after this European Championship. Women are rightly demanding even greater access to clubs, sports fields, support, and professional training. They are demanding what they have long been entitled to: equality. In the recently published book "The Right to Kick," written by two researchers, national coach Pia Sundhage warns that the fight will continue for a long time to come: "We are not just fighting for our own generation, but also for the next and the one after that. Changing attitudes and prejudices is not easy." Equality also means not giving up.

Fortunately, this dispute isn't just about noble motives, but also about money and power. Women's football is popular and has potential; it's expected to become the fifth-largest sport in the world within the next five years. This is the conclusion of a study by the market research firm Nielsen Sports and the food company Pepsico. The associations need major events that can open up new markets and thus generate hundreds of millions of euros in new revenue. Finally, officials no longer see women as a nuisance, but as a business case.

This realization, coupled with growing social and legal pressure, also accelerated women's participation in football: More and more countries invested in youth development , introduced professional leagues, equalized bonuses and wages, improved access, social benefits, family friendliness, and infrastructure. And observed how quickly success followed.

What applies to football also applies to business: It's in the best interest of the economy to recruit from the largest possible pool – and therefore finally moving the starting line to the same place for everyone. For employers, this means, for example, advertising positions (and paying attention to the wording), making application processes and compensation systems transparent, communicating clear job requirements, and making working hours more flexible. Ensuring that everyone is on board, right up to the highest levels, instead of dividing up squad and other interesting positions according to personal taste among a small circle of similarly-minded individuals.

Ultimately, those who want to be successful usually set clear, binding goals. For example, the English Football Association did in 2017 with regard to the number of players and spectators in women's football. Five years later, England hosted the European Championship, and its women's team won. The success was repeated at this year's European Championship. This proves once again: those who harness their potential will be rewarded.