Female Everton fans have shared how crucial the #HerGameToo campaign is ahead of the club's show of support for the initiative this weekend.
In December 2021, the Blues became the first Premier League club to put their support behind the campaign, which aims to ensure females of all ages feel confident and safe sharing their opinions about football, both online and in real life, without fear of sexist abuse.
Everton will mark that support in their two matches this weekend, with the men's team taking on Wolves on Sunday after the women's side have played against Leicester City at Walton Hall Park on Saturday evening.
New posters to promote the available reporting options, including discreet text and email services, will be placed around Goodison Park.
Pin badges and flags will be handed out at both of this weekend's games while both Everton sides will warm up in #HerGameToo shirts pre-match.
Both matchday programmes will feature content about the campaign, while branding will be seen on stadium screens and across club channels.
Also as part of that activity, the club's Fan's Forum have worked closely with #HerGameToo to produce a video showing 11 Evertonians sharing the comments they have read or heard while attending football matches across the country.
The comments highlighted could be described as intimidating, disrespectful to female supporters' understanding of the game, and belittling of the important role women play in the sport, both as fans and professionally.
Siobhan Doran, a member of the Everton Fans’ Forum who helped initiate the Blues' support of #HerGameToo, said: “As Evertonians, I think we are really inclusive and support what the Club does in terms of promoting equality and challenging all forms of discrimination. Becoming the first club to support #HerGameToo shows that.
“As a Forum, we want to continue to raise awareness of the issues female fans face throughout the game but also ensure people are aware of how they can report incidents if they do experience them.
“That is what we will try to do this weekend through the activities taking place at both games and online, and I would encourage anyone with feedback or ideas about how we can progress our support for #HerGameToo to contact the Fans’ Forum.”
A recent survey conducted by Everton and #HerGameToo found that 98% of the female supporters that took part said they feel safe at Goodison Park on matchdays, although one in four said they had experienced or witnessed derogative comments at football matches around the country.
Of those, 40% recalled witnessing or experiencing that behaviour in the past 12 months.
Despite that, 88% said they did not report the inappropriate behaviour they witnessed, with 69% adding they were unaware of Everton’s report system for sexist behaviour.
Of those surveyed, 65% stated they would be likely to report sexist behaviour if they were to witness or experience it in future.
If you witness discriminatory behaviour at a match or around a stadium, text HELP plus details of what you have witnessed, and where, to 84300, or email reportit@evertonfc.com to discreetly submit a report. You can also report incidents directly to #HerGameToo at hergametoo.co.uk/report
To contact the Fans' Forum, find them on social media @EFC_FansForum or email members@evertonfansforum.com
