Sexism at football – a problem that isn’t going away
Ahead of the recent Manchester men’s derby, officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and partner organizations have been deployed across the city to raise awareness of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and protect vulnerable people.
The United Nations defines VAWG as acts of gender-based violence that cause physical, sexual or psychological harm. While this includes serious crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence, experts say casual misogyny and sexist comments can also contribute to reinforcing gender inequality.
Fans in Manchester were encouraged to spot abuse and speak out against it.
Ch Supt Colette Rose, head of specialist operations at GMP, said: “I think VAWG is a social issue. It is high on the national agenda. It infiltrates every aspect of our society and that includes sport and football.
“We see a predominantly male-dominated fan base in football. If we can work with men on behavior that makes women feel unsafe or intimidated and educate people, that will have an impact on wider society.”
Figures released by GMP show that the number of VAWG incidents reported in football matches has increased from 18 in the 2023-24 season to 28 last season, and this figure is expected to rise again.
Meanwhile, Her Game Too also told us that they receive at least one report on every match day.
But Rose doesn’t think this necessarily indicates the problem is getting worse.
“I think what’s really happening is we’re calling it out,” he said. “And I think society is starting to see that this behavior is unacceptable, and our partners are really interested in working with us on this.
“People are reporting it more because they can see that it’s wrong and we shouldn’t accept it.”
Rose recalls an incident where he was targeted during a match in Germany.
“I had reason to talk to a few kids who came out of the game and were very jubilant but were singing songs that would have been really offensive in Germany,” he says.
“The barrage of harassment I received because of this was mostly related to my gender and appearance… I was followed around the stadium for a while and could not find a uniformed police officer to support me.
“This shook me to my core. I didn’t know that as a police officer I could feel so vulnerable in a crowd and have a sudden fear of violence against me just because I was a woman.”
“The language used was very misogynistic and the person who did this was using my weaknesses to make me feel that way. It’s a terrible feeling.”
