Nearly half of women fans in England and Wales suffer sexist abuse at soccer matches

LONDON : Close to half of women soccer fans in England and Wales have personally experienced sexist or misogynistic abuse at matches but most have never reported it to authorities, a new study by anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out revealed on Wednesday.

Wolf-whistling, being questioned about their knowledge of the rules and persistent badgering were some of the forms of sexist behaviour experienced by the 1,502 people surveyed, of whom 7 per cent said they had been touched inappropriately, 3 per cent were victims of physical violence and 2 per cent sexually assaulted or harassed.

Although the research showed sexism was still a significant issue for female match-goers, as well as for non-binary fans, 77 per cent said they felt safe attending matches and four in 10 stated their experiences had been improving over time.

But ethnic minorities, members of the LGBTQ community, those with disabilities and younger people were more likely to feel unsafe and experience sexism in a soccer setting, the research said.

The vast majority of those surveyed, 85 per cent, said they had never reported the abuse, mostly because they didn't think it would make a difference.

"Football needs to step up to ensure sexism is taken seriously and that women feel safe and confident to report discrimination," said Hollie Varney, from Kick It Out. "We've seen reports of sexism to Kick It Out increase significantly in recent seasons."

The research has also highlighted the use of sexist language, with 53 per cent of respondents saying they had experienced or witnessed women being told that they should be elsewhere, such as "back in the kitchen".

Using the research data, Kick It Out has launched a campaign to ensure women fans know sexist abuse is