A quarter of females working in the football industry have suffered some kind of bullying, with 15 per cent claiming to be victims of sexual harassment, a hard-hitting survey has found.

Conducted by equality body Women in Football and Professor Sue Bridgewater, the study has laid bare the challenge facing the football industry when it comes to gender equality. It comes two years after an original survey was taken.

The 15 per cent of respondents who claimed to have been victims of sexual harassment has more than doubled from 7 per cent in 2014, while 19 per cent had been barred from certain areas of the game based on their gender, compared to 7 per cent in 2014.

FA board member Heather Rabbatts said there was still a “considerable way to go before there is a level playing field for women working across the game”, but added that “experiences of many women in the game are increasingly positive”.

Indeed, 60 per cent of the 505 coaches, match official and administrators working in England, Scotland and Wales surveyed, found that the opportunities for women in football were improving, although 90 per cent believed more could be done.

While the number of women witnessing sexism in the workplace is down from 66 per cent to 61 per cent – and the number experiencing it fell from 57 per cent to 46 per cent – the figures are still high.

Tellingly, around 70 per cent of women questioned believed they had to be better at their jobs – not equally as good – as their male counterparts to succeed in football.

A statement made by Women in Football concluded: “Still not enough is being done to support women employed in the sector, or protect them from discrimination and abuse.”

“Women in Football urgently calls on the governing bodies of the game to work together to bring football into the 21st century and make it a safe, welcoming and progressive industry for all women to work in,” the body added.