Sexism in football: Calls for punitive sanctions grow

Germany's Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb refereed top men's Bundesliga games, while France's Stephanie Frappart became the first female referee at a men's World Cup in 2022. Union Berlin had a women's assistant coach in Marie–Louise Eta, while third tier Ingolstadt have a female head coach. Statistics show more female fans are coming to  stadiums while the growth of the women's game itself has been enormous. Despite all of the progress, sexism in European football remains.

The fall-out from "that" kiss at the 2023 Women's World Cup final rocked Spanish football. Italy has long battled football sexism, including the 2018 scandal where male Lazio fans tried to ban women from sitting in the front row of the stadium because they felt that was a man's place. Manchester United's treatment of their women's team has been in the spotlight and, at times, Germany has also struggled with making women feel safe in stadiums. Indeed, in September 2024, UK-based anti-discrimination charity Kick it Out reported than more than half of the 1,502 female and non-binary football fans questioned for a survey said they had experienced sexist behavior or language at matches.

Her Game Too

"While great strides have been made to protect women and girls in the game, it is important that football never stands still," Steinhaus-Webb, FIFA's Head of Women’s Refereeing, told DW.

"I have seen firsthand throughout my career as both a police officer and as a referee that violence and discrimination against women sadly does remain an issue, both in football and wider society. This is why FIFA is working with organisations in football and beyond to raise awareness of the dangers to those at risk and to campaign for ending violence against women and girls. This is something we are passionate about and will continue to support."

One grassroots movement is the Her Game Too campaign, which was set up in 2021 in the UK with the aim of tackling sexism in the stands. A button on the home page allows female fans to report incidents of misogyny and verbal abuse.

"We are calling for punitive sanctions against sexist acts, in the same way as for racial discrimination or homophobia," Lea Sadys, a delegate of Her Game Too France, told DW.

"Although mentalities are changing and many men are now taking a stand against such behavior, these attitudes take many forms, from remarks about the legitimacy of women in stadiums or simple mansplaining to sexist or sexualized comments. Clubs, in particular, have a central role to play in raising awareness among their supporters and creating more inclusive spaces in their stadiums."

This month the German singer Mine reported being sexually harassed by Hertha Berlin fans on a train on their way back from a men's second-division game in Darmstadt.

Hertha reacted quickly, condemning their own fans. The Berlin club says they already have "victim-centered protection concepts" to provide support. They also appealed to supporters "to take a firm stand in such cases to stop such incidents immediately" and vowed to "seek talks with the fanbase" about the problem. When contacted by DW for more clarity on this dialogue, Hertha did not respond.

Workplace sexism a problem, just like in the stands

As for women working in men's football, a study in June from UK-based group Women in Football found 89% of women in the industry have experienced discrimination at work. It also showed there has been a surge in optimism about gender equality in the game.

Referees such as Steinhaus-Webb and English assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis have received the odd catcall or wolf whistle from the stands, but the bigger problem was male fans questioning why they were officiating a men's football game.

It was not just fans in Sian Massey-Ellis' case. In 2011, thinking their microphones were off, British Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys and former Scotland player Andy Gray joked that the female assistant referee didn't understand offside. The pair eventually had to leave the channel.

But in 2017, Keys was accused of further sexism when he responded on social media to an interview Massey-Ellis had done with English newspaper, the Times of London. He accused her of lying and threatened to release a recording of a conversation between the pair. The newspaper interview included the quote: "Sometimes you have to be better than a man to be as good as a man is."

It is a feeling which many women who work in men's football have. It has led governing bodies to push for more representation, such as the German football federation who recently held a "Women in Football Summit" in September.

Lewes lead by example

It is not just about match officials and coaches either. Eva Carneiro was a physiotherapist for Chelsea's men's team between 2001 and 2015 and was wolf-whistled from the stands. She left after then-Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho criticized her for tending to an injured player and leaving the team a man down when he had to temporarily go off.

The Portuguese coach was accused of using sexist language towards her but was cleared. Carneiro took Chelsea to court over constructive dismissal before a private settlement.

She is now a part owner of English semi-professional club Lewes, which is fan-owned and has women's and men's teams in the lower leagues. In 2017, they launched the EqualityFC campaign that saw Lewes become the first club in the world to have equal playing budgets for women and men. Carneiro was interested in investing after hearing about the club's "CallHimOut" campaign aimed at kicking sexism and misogyny out of football and society. 

"The culture needs to change in the elite football environment, it needs to be more inviting," she said in a Lewes video.

From language changes and rescheduling games in big stadiums to stronger responses from clubs and organizations, it's clear there is still plenty to do.

Her Game Too's Sadys added: "We are progressing towards greater inclusion but it can only become fully respectful if all players, clubs, supporters, media and governing bodies unite to eradicate sexism and value all those who are passionate about the sport — whatever their identity."

Edited by: Jonathan Harding