Female Reporters Are Blowing the Whistle on Sexist Behavior at the World Cup

 

Vicki Sparks commentates for BBC during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group B match between Portugal and Morocco at Luzhniki Stadium on June 20, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
Vicki Sparks commentates for BBC during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group B match between Portugal and Morocco at Luzhniki Stadium on June 20, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
Maddie Meyer—Getty Images
By SIOBHAN MORRIN

July 3, 2018

From late goals to major upsets, the World Cup in Russia this year has had more than its usual share of excitement. While more women have had high-profile sports commentary roles this year than ever before, a series of sexist incidents have provoked outcry.

During the tournament, several women working for international media outlets have been harassed and assaulted while doing their jobs. Male fans have coached women to chant sexually graphic phrases in languages they don’t understand. Even away from the crowds outside the stadium, women working from the relative calm of a studio have received online abuse just for daring to work in the male-dominated world of soccer.

The soccer world is no stranger to sexism. As is typical of many sports, the men’s version is thought of first—British pundit Gary Lineker was called out on Twitter for crediting Lionel Messi with a world soccer first, despite American soccer player Mia Hamm and China’s Sun Wen achieving the same in 2003. In Britain, thought of as the home of the sport, the women’s game was banned for 50 years until 1971, and was only officially brought under the British soccer governing body in 1993. It’s only in recent years that women have taken roles in FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, with the first board members being elected in 2013, and the first ever secretary general in 2016. Progress has been slow across the board, with top European leagues only getting their first ever female referee last September (in Germany); there are no female refereeing staff at this World Cup. Sports journalists in several countries marked milestones in Moscow, becoming the first to commentate live men’s matches on television. (In the U.S. Fox Sports and Telemundo both had the country’s first ever live commentary from women, while in the U.K., where women have commentated live soccer on the radio, the BBC’s Vicki Sparks made history as the first woman to commentate a live televised men’s match.)

Vicki Sparks commentates for BBC during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group B match between Portugal and Morocco at Luzhniki Stadium on June 20, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
Vicki Sparks commentates for BBC during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group B match between Portugal and Morocco at Luzhniki Stadium on June 20, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
Maddie Meyer—Getty Images

What’s different about this year’s World Cup is the rise of call out culture. As Anna Kessel, sports journalist and chair of British campaign group Women in Football says, “For the first time, we’re having a global awakening about what women in the sport face.” In the wake of the #MeToo movement across other industries, more women in soccer are talking about their experiences—and the world is listening.

For those working in front of the camera, the grabs, gropes and kisses have taken place in full view of the world. On June 15, Colombian-born journalist Julieth Gonzalez Theran was delivering her lines for Deutsche Welle to camera when a soccer fan grabbed her chest and forcibly kissed her. Three days later, Malin Wahlberg was presenting, talking to a crowd of Swedish fans for the country’s Aftonbladet newspaper, when a rowdy fan draped an arm around her shoulder, another another vigorously ruffled her hair and a third grabbed her round the neck and went in for a kiss she tried to dodge. Mexican journalist Mariana Zacarias has told Paris Match about being groped, kissed and grabbed in the first two weeks of the tournament. On June 24, Julia Guimaraes, presenting for Brazil’s TV Globo and sporTV, dodged a man who tried to kiss her on the cheek, berating him afterward witha wave of her mic.

https://twitter.com/dw_espanol/status/1007240122138492928

It’s not just women on the job who have had to deal with sexist crowds. Fare Network, part of a global network of organizations tackling discrimination in soccer, has reported several instances of fans persuading women from different countries to chant crude and sexual phrases in a language they don’t understand. “There’s the very visible issue of TV reporters who are being assaulted on the streets while they’re working, and there’s another aggressive, sexualized misogyny that’s new. I’ve never seen that before,” says Fare’s executive director Piara Powar, describing the videos.

In one video Fare highlights, two Paraguayan journalists taught a woman an obscene phrase, telling her it meant “I like Paraguay,” and in another Colombian fans taught Japanese women to say obscene phrases. Paraguay—which is not playing at the World Cup—condemned the journalists through its Russian embassy, and Colombia’s government said the behavior was “degrading to women and insults our country” on Twitter. “All these things are highlighting old, sexist attitudes, and that most of the people who travel are men,” says Powar. “It’s something the culture of [soccer] hasn’t tried to address.”

Several female pundits have also been trolled online—and action is being taken. German pundit Claudia Neumann, the first woman to commentate men’s matches on German public television, has been subject to online abuse, with her employer ZDF now pursuing criminal charges against two users who expressed “extremely derogatory comments,” according the German newspaper Allgemeine Zeitung. ZDF director Thomas Bellut said he hoped it would have a deterrent effect, and expressed surprise that “apparently some viewers still have a problem with a woman commentating.”

Elsewhere, others have been displeased that the playing field is becoming more equal. Jason Cundy, who played for British top-level soccer club Chelsea, came under fire last week for his assertion on breakfast TV that female commentators were a “tough listen,” saying “a high-pitched tone isn’t what I want to hear.”

A woman (C) reacts she watches the World Cup match between Uruguay and Russia at a square in the Russian-founded town of San Javier in Rio Negro Department, Uruguay, on June 25, 2018.
A woman (C) reacts she watches the World Cup match between Uruguay and Russia at a square in the Russian-founded town of San Javier in Rio Negro Department, Uruguay, on June 25, 2018.
Pable Porciunicula Brune—AFP/Getty Images

Powar of Fare Network says that the media—and soccer as a whole—has its own role to play in helping change sexist attitudes, by making the presence of women a regular feature across the board, rather than a one off at big tournaments. Female pundits Eni Aluko and Alex Scott, who work for the U.K.’s two major networks, have drawn praise for their insightful commentary—as well as what some have called patronizing applause from a fellow male pundit. “They clearly understood they had to prove themselves, they had to work harder than the men,” says Powar. “They’ve done their homework.”

The commercial argument for change is strong: Women’s soccer is among the fastest growing sports in the world—and in the U.S., women’s soccer has for years been more popular than men’s. Kessel points to two campaigns this World Cup that were disbanded after an outcry over sexism—Burger King’s offer to give prizes to any woman impregnated by a player, and Getty’s gallery of “hottest fans” featuring only young women. “It’s been standard for galleries and TV feeds to feature this narrow idea of women at the football. This is first time there’s been such a big platform for change,” Kessel says. Women are a significant audience at World Cups: FIFA’s own viewing figures show women were around 40% of the audience for the 2014 tournament. And where there are viewers, there are advertising dollars.

But for women on the ground right now, sharing their experiences and immediately condemning sexism has been essential to effecting change more quickly. As Julieth Gonzalez-Theran said in a post on her Instagram after she was groped, the women reporting are doing their jobs and they deserve respect: “Respect! We don’t deserve this. We are equally valuable and professional. I share the joy of soccer but we must identify the line between affection and harassment.”

MeToo movement go worldwide, the planet’s biggest football competition has provided a moment of sobriety.

From Burger King offering women a chance to win $47,000 and free Whoppers for life if they got impregnated by a World Cup player, through to the Argentine football federation publishing a section on “How to pick up Russian women” in its pre-tournament guide for staff and journalists, the specter of sexism and misogyny has never been too far away.
On Wednesday, German television channel ZDF took the remarkable step of lodging criminal proceedings against two social-media users who it says targeted Claudia Neumann, one of the channel’s leading commentators, with a barrage of sexist abuse.
Of the 16,000 journalists accredited to cover the World Cup in Russia, just 14% are women, according to FIFA, the tournament organizer.
And for some of those women working in the media at the World Cup, the past couple of weeks have been a challenging experience with reports of sexual assault, harassment and online vitriol being directed at them.
The first incident to gain worldwide attention came when a female journalist working in the Russian city of Saransk published a video of herself being sexually assaulted while broadcasting live on air.
Julieth González Therán was reporting for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle’s Spanish news channel when a man grabbed her breast and kissed her cheek.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkDMyupDFqv/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=8&wp=778&rd=edition.cnn.com#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A27844.00000000096%7D
González Therán maintained her composure and finished her report but was left visibly angry and upset.
After posting the video on her Instagram account, González Therán called for more respect for female journalists.
“We do not deserve this treatment. We are equally as professional and deserving. I share the joy of football but we must identify the limits between affection and harassment,” she wrote.

#DeixaElaTrabalhar

González Therán’s story is one that female sports journalists, particularly in broadcasting, have heard all too often.
In Brazil, the constant harassment suffered by female sports journalists led to a group of them launching a campaign with the slogan #DeixaElaTrabalhar, or “Let Her Do Her Job”.
The campaign, which kicked off in March, came after Bruna Dealtry, who works for Esporte Interativo, was reporting live when a man attempted to kiss her.
Brazilian journalist Amanda Kestelman, who works for GloboEsporte and is a supporter of #DeixaElaTrabalhar, believes part of the problem is the sense of entitlement held by some male football fans.
“I was in Russia for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics but the World Cup has been far worse because it brings the worst out of supporters who believe it should be a male-only event,” she told CNN from Russia.
“The problem has been especially bad in the streets with fans and drunk people.
“Once I left the metro and asked a boy to walk with me because there was a group laughing and pointing at me on the train.”
“My friend and colleague was kissed before a live report on two occasions. That was the worst. No one can do this to a woman when she doesn’t consent.”
That friend was Julia Guimarães, a TV Globo and SportTV journalist, who won praise for her reaction toward a man who tried to kiss her while she was reporting from Yekaterinburg.
“It’s horrible. I feel helpless and vulnerable,” she told Globo Esporte after the incident. “This time I responded but it’s sad people don’t understand why people feel they have the right to do that.”
Writing on Twitter after the incident, Guimarães said: “It’s hard to find the words … Luckily, I have never experienced this in Brazil. Over here it has happened twice. Sad! Shameful!”
Like Guimarães, Swedish journalist Malin Wahlberg was grabbed and kissed while reporting on Sweden’s game with South Korea.
Other incidents involving Argentine ESPN reporter Agos Larocca and France 24’s Kethevane Gorjestani were also reported.
Fatma Samoura, FIFA’s first Secretary General, condemned those responsible, tweeting: “Many women are in Russia to carry out their duties in a professional manner & it’s important we respect them & their work.”
One female journalist told CNN she had witnessed sexual harassment in an official FIFA Fan Zone, an area that is designated for supporters to congregate before matches and watch action on the big screen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkjNqFNDJIC/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=8&wp=778&rd=edition.cnn.com#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A27852.00000000259%7D
“I work with a Russian girl, who is a translator, and I have noticed that she has difficulty to walk around the city quietly without being approached,” Brazilian journalist Luiza Oliveira told CNN.
“We went to the Fan Zone to work on an article and she was approached by at least five different men, some touched her without permission.
“One day in Red Square, a Turkish man hugged her and took a selfie with her without asking permission. I intervened and told him he couldn’t do that because it was disrespectful. He said that the photo was for his wife, as if that served as justification for the act.”
World Cup reporter shouts at man who tried to kiss her on camera

World Cup reporter shouts at man who tried to kiss her on camera
Oliveira too, has experienced strange looks and glances in the media centers from fellow journalists.
While she is unsure whether the experiences of female journalists have been worse in Russia than at previous tournaments, she wonders whether the lack of a strong feminist movement in Russia means such behavior goes unchallenged.
“In my view, there is a strong objectification of the Russian woman, who is seen as a sex symbol worldwide,” she said.
“Russian society is quite conservative and is still far behind in the defense of women’s rights.”
Sexism in sport: Why do internet trolls target women?

Sexism in sport: Why do internet trolls target women?

‘Too high-pitched’

But it’s not just those in front of the camera who have been targeted with sexual and misogynistic abuse.
In the UK, Vicki Sparks, who made history by becoming the first woman to commentate a World Cup game live on television when she called Portugal’s win over Morocco, received a barrage of criticism.
Jason Cundy, a former Chelsea and Tottenham player, told a UK talk show that female football commentators are too “high-pitched.”
“I found it a tough listen. I prefer to hear a male voice. For 90 minutes listening to a high-pitched tone isn’t what I want to hear,” Cundy told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
“When there’s a moment of drama, which there often is in football, I think that moment needs to be done with a slightly lower voice.”
Cundy later tweeted an apology, adding: “There are times when you have to hold your hands up and admit you are wrong and have been an idiot — and this is definitely one of those times.”

Criminal complaint

In Germany, broadcaster ZDF lodged a criminal complaint with the public prosecutor in Mainz after its commentator Claudia Neumann was subjected to a torrent of sexist abuse online.
Oliver Schmidt, Bela Rethy, Claudia Neumann and Martin Schneider pose for a picture during the ARD and ZDF FIFA World Cup presenter team presentation.

Oliver Schmidt, Bela Rethy, Claudia Neumann and Martin Schneider pose for a picture during the ARD and ZDF FIFA World Cup presenter team presentation.
“Perhaps men need their little oasis of retreat where they’re allowed to be children,” Neumann told German newspaper Zeit on Wednesday.
“Certain people seem to have lost any sort of decency. Anything ‘other’ rubs them the wrong way.”
“Whether it’s female commentators or homosexual players, footballers with a migration background — some people seem to not want to accept that the old familiar things are gone.”

‘I learned very quickly’

In Australia, SBS presenter Lucy Zelic came close to breaking down on air after viewers took exception to her pronouncing the names of players correctly.
Social media was awash with criticism with some castigating Zelic, while others came to her support, including a number of immigrants to Australia thanking her for taking the trouble to pronounce names the right way.
Zelic has previously written about the abuse she has received, including sexist abuse, while hosting SBS’s coverage of the 2014 World Cup where she was called an an “ugly bimbo” and a “f—ing slut.”
“I learned very quickly to avoid my social media for a few weeks, to block the negativity and now, if I ever come across nastiness, they just look like words cobbled together on a screen,” she wrote in 2016.
“Some people say that only God can judge them but I tell you what, these days I am more terrified of the things I have to say about my on-air performances than I could ever be of any critics.”
This World Cup has already had its fair share of sexism with Getty Images forced to apologize after publishing a gallery of the “World Cup’s sexiest fans,” and Burger King issuing a strong apology after its badly advised World Cup offer.
Stories about players’ wives and gratuitous camera shots to attractive women in the crowd have almost become expected during any World Cup.
But there have also been plenty of breakthrough moments, including Iranian women being able to enter a football stadium and watch their side play, something that they are prohibited from doing in Iran.
Vicki Sparks commentates for BBC during the group B match between Portugal and Morocco.
The contributions of female pundits, particularly on UK television, have been widely heralded, with England internationals Alex Scott and Eniola Aluko winning praise.
But there is still a long way to go, according to Kestelman, who hopes that #DeixaElaTrabalharcan begin to inspire women across the world.
Visit CNN.com/sport for more news and features
“It was a shock for me that there are such a small number of women covering the World Cup,” she said.
“Really, it’s such a small representation. In the media centers, when I enter, people look at me with a strange look and it’s kind of embarrassing. It happens all the time.”
“We still have a long way to walk but the #DeixaElaTrabalhar movement is helping us gain some attention and that’s a huge deal.”
Source: TIME

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