Zoe Shackleton, Head of HR and EDI at Huddersfield Town Football Club, discusses why breaking the seal on ‘menstruation’ as a taboo subject has been so important in the drive to be more representative of the community that supports them.
Football clubs are perhaps the last place you’d think about for championing ‘menstruation’, yet, Huddersfield Town Football Club (HTAFC) have done just that – not only ‘normalising’ the conversation but going even further and gaining menstruation friendly accreditation, the first football club to do so.
Zoe Shackleton
Head of HR and EDI
Huddersfield Town AFC are an English professional football club which currently play in League One, the third tier of the English football pyramid. They were relegated in 2019 from the premier league. Fans refer to the club as the ‘Terriers’.
Shackleton says that the drive to achieve menstruation friendly accreditation began as part of their ‘Terriers Together’ equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.
She says, “In 2025, no one should be afraid to talk about menstruation and menopause and the work we are doing has really opened up an important dialogue, helping our female colleagues to get the support they need.”