Overview
Unless you have been living under a rock these past few weeks, you would be aware of Joey Barton’s one-man tirade and one that has seen the topic of gender inequality in football brought back to the spotlight.
Without wanting to fan any more of Barton’s flames, his discourse has once again highlighted the issues within football when it comes to gender inequality and just when you think things are going in the right direction, does somebody do their best to steer it the other way.
The current state of gender inequality in Women’s Football
There is no doubt that women’s football has made huge strides of the past decade or so and especially since Sarina Wiegman led the Lionesses to European Championship glory in 2022 and a World Cup final the following year.
However, for all the progress that is being made on the field of play, there are still plenty of attitudes that are doing their best to stall it – not as many as before, but even with the example of former Manchester City midfielder Barton, one example of misogyny is enough.
Which is why there is still some way to go before the beautiful game reaches perfect harmony for all and that harmony will only be found when the trio of gender inequality, homophobia and bullying are finally kicked into row z.
More than a beautiful game
One of football’s main principles is that it should be a game for all. A game that you do not necessarily have to participate in terms of playing but you can also participate through either volunteering or lending your support.
Which is why there should be absolutely no barrier to entry when it comes to football and although an incredible amount of work has been done to eradicate these barriers, they are yet to be truly smashed to pieces.
Especially as social media has a habit of trying to restore these barriers and if it is not a former professional giving outdated views on the female contribution to the beautiful game, it is a faceless account spouting bile of their own.
For all of the benefits that social media has given us, it has also given us plenty of ills and although it can be incredibly easy to leave an anonymous comment without a moment’s thought, those same words can quickly be used a weapon to cause damage.
You only have to look at the abuse that players in the Women’s Super League receive on a far too frequent basis to know that social media’s power is being harnessed incorrectly and unfortunately, this is creating an all too normalised chain of events.
A player receives some form of abuse which social media companies do not act quick enough in taking down. In turn, more people pile on to do the same and such behaviour is then seen as ‘fair game’.
Only it is far from ‘fair game’ it is very unfair and especially to any female or LBGTQ supporters who have also been unfortunate to read such comments. If they are reading it online, they could just as likely hear disgusting comments at a football ground the following week.
An act that only serves to keep the barriers that the likes of Joey Barton want to keep in place and it is absolutely crucial that this mindset does not serve to gatekeep football for only those they deem necessary to include.
Which is why it is the job of the football family as a whole to keep its doors constantly open and always push back against the comments that are made online and on the terraces. It has been a long battle to get where we are, but inequality will never win the war.