Women's football: PFA will ask Britain's trade unions to support call for equal rights and conditions

The Professional Footballer's Association will ask Britain's trade unions to support the call for "equal rights and conditions for female footballers".

PFA chief executive Maheta Molango will highlight the issue at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Liverpool on Tuesday.

The motion has been backed by England players Lucy Bronze and Katie Zelem.

Molango will discuss the inequality between the men's and women's game, which he says "isn't acceptable".

In July, a major review into domestic women's football chaired by former Lionesses midfielder Karen Carney recommended that the top two tiers of women's football in England become fully professional.

The review determined that players in the Women's Super League and Championship should have full union representation, funded by the Football Association, to provide female footballers with security around contracts and conditions.

Currently, WSL players are helped by funding from the PFA's main pot, while players in the Championship have no union representation.

The Government is expected to publish its response to Carney's 126-page report recommendations later this year.

Molango will tell the TUC that "a seat at the table is no use when the decisions have already been made."

Barcelona defender Bronze, who lifted the Women's European Championship with England in 2022, said the Lionesses' wanted their legacy to be that the game is left "in a better place for those who follow us."

The 31-year-old added: "There is still a long way to go in the women's game, and now is the time for everyone to work together to make the experience of being a professional footballer as positive as it can be."

Manchester United captain Zelem, who is a member of the PFA's elected players' board, said it was important female players are a part of the decision making process..

"We want to be partners in taking the game forward and making sure that players are properly thought about and looked after," the 27-year-old midfielder said.

"There are structures in place in the men's game which mean players know they will be listened to. We need it to be the same for us."

The Lionesses have also been in a dispute with the FA over the organisation's stance on performance-related bonuses since before the Women's World Cup in the summer.

Players for some nations were set to receive bonuses from their country but England, who were beaten in the final by Spain in Sydney, were not.

Talks were paused before the start of the tournament in July but BBC Sport understands that there will be a focus on discussions during the next international camp this month as England prepare for the inaugural Women's Nations League.