Chelsea FC Women’s name change is much more than a mere nod to gender equality

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After winning the Women’s FA Cup, the Women’s Super League and reaching the Women’s Champions League semi-finals this season, Chelsea Ladies FC have made the decision to change their name to Chelsea FC Women, a move which follows the similar decision made by Arsenal last year, who became Arsenal Women, with the “women” part only used when necessary for clarity.

The change from ladies to women is not the only transformation, as they have also rearranged the order of words so that the sport comes before the gender and have moved away from consistently referring to the men’s team as the ‘first team’.

This is a decision which both acknowledges the ever-growing status of women’s football, while simultaneously putting the female players on greater parity with their male counterparts. “It is representative of a modern view on language and equality” Chelsea said on their official website and it’s a decision which I fully support.

Nine teams in the Women’s Super League, the highest women’s league in England, now have “ladies” in their names, while seven have “women”. But what’s in a name, you ask? More than you may initially realise. Chelsea’s name change is much more than a mere nod to gender equality.

Women playing football was once seen as an oddity, something that still rings true in many other sports and professions. However, the sport is rapidly evolving with the 2018 FA Cup final, which Chelsea won, being shown on primetime TV for the first time ever this year. People’s attitudes towards women’s football are shifting, so why are we resolutely sticking to outdated language without seeing its potential harm?

Language is so important. Words are important. While at first look “ladies” might seem like just a polite and respectful term for women, in reality it comes along with all the connotations of ‘ladylike’ behaviour. As goalkeeper Carly Telford, who also plays for England, says “when I think of ‘ladies’ I do think of afternoon tea somewhere”. And she’s right, isn’t she?

According to Collins Dictionary, “If you say that a woman is a lady, you mean that she behaves in a polite, dignified and graceful way.” Ladies arrange flowers and ladies are members of the congregation. By using the word lady, we are giving subconscious instructions about how women should behave. For me, lady suggests not only frailty and the need for protection, but it also avoids any association with bodily functions. Ladies don’t sweat, they don’t bleed, they don’t give birth. You wouldn’t say a strong, independent lady, just as much as you wouldn’t read in a report that some ladies experienced multiple orgasms.

It isn’t seen as feminine to be strong or ladylike to get physical. So why is it the exception to this rule that female athletes are so often referred to as ladies? Is it an attempt to counter the perception of athletic pursuits and the women who engage in them as unfeminine? What it is effectively doing is suggesting how women should behave while they are participating in sport. Deborah Cameron, professor of language and communication at the University of Oxford, agrees “ladies” is a bit patronising and says the switch to women is “emphasising the parallels rather than the differences between the men’s and the women’s game”.

The word woman is a powerful one. It affirms our humanity and dignity, without denying our femaleness. It doesn’t treat the embodiment of being female as a source of shame or weakness. As Chelsea striker Fran Kirby says, “We work so hard every day on the pitch so we feel we should be respected as the athletes and the strong, powerful women that we are.” And these women are inspirational, they are focused, they are resilient and they want to be unburdened by social norms. Sport should be liberating and Chelsea’s decision is helping to create a place where we can escape these constant coded messages about how women should look and behave in society. That is why this is important. That is why I hope the other teams in the Women’s Super League join ranks and see the importance of the language they use.

Chelsea said: “At Chelsea, we see our female players as role models for the next generation, just as we do our men’s team, and hope their achievements can help inspire and empower even more women and girls to take up the game we all love.”

Although it’s important, women’s football has so much more potential than just getting more girls to play football. The United Nations has suggested that sport will play a leading role in the journey to equal rights for women and girls. What we have here is a chance for footballers, men and women, to be seen as equals. It has the power to shift the perspective for the next generation. This isn’t just about football and the perpetuation of its own unequal structure, this is about the complex relationship between sport and gender inequality and how it contributes to male dominance in general. This is about how women are perceived in our world and a demand for society’s ways of thinking to change.

Chelsea FC Women are on an amazing journey and while the name change is an important step towards gender equality in the world of football, there’s still work to be done. Gender equality won’t be reached overnight, but through building and driving these conversations we are taking steps towards creating a positive change in our society’s culture.