A new campaign's tackling online abuse against women and girls
The Welsh Government and the Welsh FA are teaming up to support women
Last updated 19th Oct 2021
The Welsh Football Association (FAW) and Welsh Government are launching a new campaign to help prevent female footballers from receiving abuse online.
The campaign will introduce online educational resources designed to help learners understand the issue of misogyny and the importance of mutual respect between genders.
Accessible on HWB, Wales' digital learning and teaching platform, the lessons will also inform learners on what online hate speech looks like and on the role that 'toxic masculinity' plays in driving misogyny.
As part of the campaign to combat online abuse of female footballers and women in general, the Welsh FA released a video featuring Wales' most capped female player Jess Fishlock.
It highlights real life examples of abusive, derogatory comments on social media:
Jess Fishlock said: “It was heart-breaking last year seeing the misogynistic abuse aimed at footballers from the league who were playing purely for their love of the game. Trying to put someone down because of something they love, is not big, smart or funny.
“I always say that people should think about how the person receiving the abuse could be affected before sharing and I’m glad to have worked with my Cymru teammates and the FAW to further educate others on what is and isn’t acceptable online.”
Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, leads the Government's support for the campaign:
“Abuse, hate and harassment of women, whether it takes place online or offline, must not be tolerated and we will do everything we can to tackle it", he said.
“A key part of dealing with online misogyny is to make sure that there are resources to support these important conversations to take place. It is vital to provide learners with opportunities to learn about their rights and the rights of others, as well as the impact of such abuse and the harm it causes."