66% of women in football ‘have suffered sex discrimination’

THE term ‘banter’ is still being widely used as an excuse for sexual discrimination in football, with two-thirds of women in the game reporting experiences of misogyny, a survey reveals today. The Women in Football (WiF) organisation’s survey of more than 4,000 of their members found that 66 per cent of women had experienced discrimination, 34 per cent had witnessed incidents and yet only 12 per cent of these episodes were reported. And despite clubs and organisations vowing to drive out sexism, there is evidence that many women who do lodge complaints find they are facing barriers to progress in their careers. Some 52 per cent of women said they felt their complaints were being ‘brushed under the carpet’, and an alarming 82 per cent said they had faced barriers to promotion. Dame Heather Rabbatts, the former FA board member and inclusion advisory panel head, told Sportsmail: ‘We are still seeing gender discrimination in the world of football. There is still a substantial under-representation for women when you look at the executives running football clubs.’ The survey coincides with the relaunch of WiF. They are doubling the number of places available on their Vikki Orvice Memorial Director Development Scheme — introduced in memory of the trailblazing journalist who died last year — which aims to help recipients secure board positions within football. Rabbatts, a founder member of WiF, pointed to the survey’s revelation that 82 per cent of women now feel supported by male and female colleagues. ‘That metric would not have been there when we surveyed members 10 years ago,’ she said. ‘Women felt far more isolated back then. It takes both women and men to drive this.’ The survey found that 48 per cent of women think incidences of discrimination have decreased over the course of their career — 16 per cent however think it has increased. Women in Football chair Ebru Koksal said: ‘The feedback we have received from women about the issues they have faced in the industry is heartbreaking. ‘One story of bias, outdated perceptions and outright bullying is one too many. There is still a lot of work to do.’