It’s no news to any of us that the world of football continues to be fraught with discriminatory practices (the gulf between the salaries of male and female players speaks for itself). And, according to a new report published by Women in Football, this problem runs deeper than we may have realised — nearly all women (89 per cent) responding to the survey have experienced discrimination in the workplace.
The survey of more than 1,100 people found that gender-based discrimination is seldom reported — and when it is, action is rarely ever taken. These findings are backed up by the Women in Football Open Doors Agenda, which was published after the Luis Rubiales incident during the Women’s World Cup last year.
Sexism, bullying and harassment disproportionately affect women in football from underrepresented ethnic groups, both online and face to face. Added to this, online hate is on the up, with nearly half of respondents (44 per cent) saying that have witnessed an increase in discriminatory social media posts and 18 per cent being directly subjected to online abuse.
According to Women in Football CEO Yvonne Harrison, these findings — as upsetting as they may be — don’t come as a huge surprise. ‘Everyone knows that gender discrimination happens in football, but the problem isn't just that it happens – there's an even bigger problem around how football deals with it,’ she says. ‘When gender discrimination happens, many women don't feel they can report it, and when they do report it, too often no action is taken. Women deserve better.’
Hope for the future
However, the tide does appear to be changing — most respondents were optimistic about the future of the football industry, with 85 per cent of women and 91 per cent of men reported to believe that opportunities for women in the football industry will ultimately get better.
‘We know there is willingness in the football industry to work for gender equality and we appreciate the contribution of our male allies in achieving it,’ adds Harrison. ‘For real progress to be achieved at this point, the message of our survey is clear: listen to women, and act on what they tell you.’
