Women are said to have come a “long way” in recent years, as if that were enough. As if it’s the end A historical discrimination that still persists on the field, in the stands and in institutionsAs demonstrated by Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent. Before taking the undeniable steps taken, we should not forget what needs to be taken.

This is evidenced by the main conclusion of the ‘Women in Matches’ (‘Women in Matches’) report conducted by the Football Fans Association: 34% of women admit to being subjected to sexist comments on the pitch. Rate still high (44%) have heard the phrase “For a woman, you know a lot about football”. In total, close to 63% of women claim to have experienced or witnessed some macho behavior at a men’s soccer game.

From eliminating iron to powerful denunciations

The Football Supporters Association (FSA) is a UK based organization with 500,000 members among fans and organisations. Data from this study were published at the European Fans’ Congress, which was attended by the Spanish organization FASFE, which can be compared with the FSA, and published the data in this report.

The research collects: Opinions of 2,164 fans of all ages, both men’s and women’s football matches. This is an update of a report conducted in 2014; 23% of respondents said they were the target of sexist comments, compared to 34%. This is largely because followers claim to have less tolerance for sexism than in 2014, when the first study was conducted.

At that time, 32% said that they were not “normally” bothered by these attitudes, 15% now offer wide sleeves. In 2014, 24% even admitted to laughing at the comments; that rate was halved in the research update. Up to 10 percent said gestures against women’s status in the stands were “part of the matchday experience”. There are still 4% of followers who fit this category.

“You know too much to be a woman”

The main sexist attitude that study participants denounced was hearing the phrase “for a woman, you know a lot about football”, condemned by 44% of fans. Claims to receive discriminatory comments up to 34 percent. 26% put up with being told they would go to football “because they love the players” and not for sporting values. Finally, 24% said they heard macho chants in the stands they attended.

“Comparing the results with the results of our 2014 survey, it’s disappointing to see the overall rise in sexist incidents,” the FSA explains. Beyond verbal”20 percent of women say they experience ‘unwanted physical attention’ participating in men’s football, which is more than double our 2014 survey -8%-“.

However, Ally Simcock, a member of the FSA council and a Port Vale fan, believes that “fans are encouraged to see the change in attitudes in recent years, making them less likely to accept any kind of sexist behavior or take it as an insult.” joke”.

Simcock highlights how “the #MeToo movement is helping to change people’s perceptions of what is tolerable and what is acceptable.” And he adds: “The FSA is pretty clear: There is no place for sexist or misogynistic behavior in football. We ask all fans to question this situation and report it to their club or the authorities. Football should be a safe and welcoming environment for all”.

Women’s football is a safer environment

‘Women at the match’ analyzes other topics that have helped to portray women playing football. Thus, for example, 70% of respondents admit that they have been with their family or parents for the first time in an area, while couples appear to be the introducers in only 5% of cases.

Despite their placement differences with Women’s Football. The presence of women watching such games before the age of 16 is only one-third (half of men’s football). The majority of those surveyed consider women’s football to be at a different stage in their lives, and they do so with firm conviction.

A very interesting variation for the product and the future of women’s sport. As seen in the World Cup, the values ​​transmitted are different from those of men. Naturalness is the dominant note in the attitudes of the players, who gradually free themselves from the stigma associated with their game.

In fact, the results for women’s football are more positive than for men’s football. A much smaller proportion of fans report encountering sexist behavior at women’s matches, and three-quarters (75%) say they haven’t heard sexist comments or chants or been subjected to “unwanted physical attention.”

Let the fans know

‘Women in the Match’, in addition to analyzing the problem, demands intervention or solution from its followers, being aware of the fact that they are doing more to report the events. The fan organization is wondering if there is trust in both clubs and institutions.

Most fans favor self-control: more than half are calling on other fans to challenge and censor sexist behavior. Likewise, full support is given to the teams that take the initiative, but a significant part of the respondents do not trust the clubs. Only 10% of those who condemned sexist behavior saw how drastic measures were taken by the employees of the institution.

Faced with inactivity, fans answer the final question: “What should be done with people who engage in sexist behavior?” 57% of survey respondents want equipment security managers to intervene. 47% seek penalties such as expulsion from the club. 39 percent claim immediate expulsion from stadiums and 22 percent seek direct police intervention.