Rise in Reporting of Sexism in Football Highlights Ongoing Challenges
Sexism in football is increasingly visible, with a rise in reported incidents highlighting ongoing issues across all levels of the game.
Notably, Joey Barton received a criminal sentence for harmful social media posts targeting Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, the latter subjected to racially charged abuse online. In another case, Barnet manager Dean Brennan has been charged by the Football Association for sexist abuse directed toward a female referee, though he denies the allegations. At the non-league level, Hemel Hempstead Town was fined, and a Coventry Sphinx match was abandoned due to abuse towards female officials.
These incidents reflect a broader trend documented by Kick It Out, which launched its Kick Sexism Out campaign at the start of the previous season to confront sexism and misogyny within the sport. Their research found that 85% of female fans who experienced sexism did not report it because they believed that nothing would be done.
Encouragingly, this season has seen a surge in reports, with Kick It Out recording 86 incidents of sexism, nearly four times higher than the same stage last year. This increase is partly due to a new reporting relationship with Her Game Too and includes 19 incidents involving mass sexist chanting. The rise in reporting is viewed positively as it brings greater visibility to the problem, accountability for offenders, and potential sanctioning of clubs for allowing such behavior.
Sexism in football manifests across various roles including fans, referees, officials, physiotherapists, and staff members. The grassroots impact is significant as well; for instance, a female coach playing in a boys’ league described facing sexist taunts from spectators, underscoring the cultural change still required within the sport.
