“We’ve openly spoken about everything else,” says Hollie Varney, chief operating officer at Kick It Out. “We’ve spoken about antisemitism in football and Islamophobia. We’ve spoken about LGBTQ+ issues. Racism has been spoken about.

“I don’t think people know how to deal with issues around women, and I don’t think they take it as seriously as other forms of discrimination.”

On the Premier League’s website, there are pages dedicated to important initiatives. Two rounds of fixtures in October are dedicated to No Room For Racism, with branding and messaging visible in stadiums. February saw the league launch its new ‘With Pride’ initiative in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion. There is an Inside Matters campaign aimed at supporting mental health and emotional well-being.

Tackling violence against women and girls, however, is an outlier. Despite being declared a “national emergency” by police chiefs in the UK in 2024, there is no centralised campaign in the Premier League to reflect it.

“Football could be doing much more to close that gap between what they’re doing publicly around those (other) issues, which deserve all that attention, (and gender-based violence),” says Seyi Falodun-Liburd, co-director of gender justice group Level Up. “It’s really about bringing the issue of gender-based violence up to the same level and treating it as just as important.”

The Athletic spoke to football clubs, charities, experts and activists to understand the Premier League’s approach to preventing violence against women and girls, and found that:

• There is a perceived gap between how the Premier League addresses violence against women and girls and other topics
• Multiple Premier League clubs have launched initiatives to raise awareness of and prevent violence against women and girls, but the engagement is inconsistent and there is no league-wide campaign.
• The Premier League is working in partnership with White Ribbon UK — a charity engaging men and boys about violence against women — and aims to deliver activity that supports gender equality. It plans to roll out a fan ambassador programme by the end of the season.

A Premier League spokesperson said: “The Premier League strongly condemns any form of abuse or violence against women and girls and takes these issues extremely seriously. The league and its clubs are actively delivering initiatives within local communities to address gender‑based abuse, including through the wider work of the Premier League Foundation and the funding of pilot projects.

“We continue to expand our work in this area, partnering with organisations such as White Ribbon, the police, and specialist experts to help drive lasting change.”

Government statistics reveal that one in eight women in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025 experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. On average, almost 200 rapes were recorded by the police every single day in the year up to June 2025, which the government say is likely to be an underestimate of how many took place.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 155 female victims of homicide recorded across England and Wales in the year ending March 2025. For cases where a suspect had been charged, the suspect was male in the case of 90 per cent of female victims, and 91 per cent of male victims. The most common suspect for female victims aged 16 or over was a partner or ex-partner.

Football’s relationship with those accused of sexual violence has been spotlighted by high-profile cases. Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with seven counts of rape and one of sexual assault, all of which he denies. Mason Greenwood (formerly of Manchester United and of Marseille), Benjamin Mendy (formerly of Manchester City), and Yves Bissouma (now at Tottenham Hotspur, formerly at Brighton & Hove Albion) were charged with sexual offences while contracted to Premier League clubs. Greenwood, Mendy and Bissouma denied the allegations against them.

Charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Greenwood were dropped, while Mendy was found not guilty of rape and attempted rape. Bissouma was cleared of an allegation of sexual assault.

Violence against women and girls was a talking point last week after Tottenham fans criticised Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment following his historic backing of Greenwood. In De Zerbi’s first interview since his appointment, he said he is “sorry if I offended anyone’s feelings with this subject matter”. “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly,” he added.

#HerGameToo branding at Brentford against Newcastle in 2022 (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

The Athletic also reported in December that a well-known executive from a Premier League club was being investigated for alleged non-recent sex offences and continued working in the league during the Metropolitan Police investigation. The investigation has since been discontinued.

“Football is a space for us to engage with a huge number of young men and boys,” says Isabelle Younane, head of external affairs at anti-domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid. “There’s a huge opportunity for us to influence attitudes in this space. But it also means that there is a huge level of risk that it can create or foster toxic attitudes around misogyny and sexism towards women and girls, and that is something that we have seen since we started working on this issue.”

Since Women’s Aid launched its Football United Against Domestic Abuse campaign in 2014, it has worked with clubs across the country, as well as bodies such as the Professional Footballers’ Association (the UK’s trade union for professional footballers), Premier League, and Football Association (English football’s governing body) to raise awareness of abuse and deliver training.

The charity’s ‘He’s Coming Home’ campaign, first launched in the 2022 World Cup, highlighted the link between domestic abuse and major football tournaments. During the men’s Euros in 2024, police forces reported 351 incidents of domestic abuse as being football-related. A statement from police chiefs at the time said that during the tournament, domestic abuse charity Respect recorded a 24 per cent increase in calls to its Men’s Advice Line, which provides advice and support to male victims of domestic abuse, and a 39 per cent increase to the Respect Phoneline, which supports perpetrators to change.

Younane says: “There’s a real kind of correlation between negative male role models and the impact on attitudes and the tolerance of domestic abuse among young people, particularly boys.

“What we wanted to do is make sure that we are building a sense of responsibility within football clubs to make them realise that actually what they endorse and the men that play the football are having huge impacts on the boys that watch.

“We’re not saying that there’s necessarily a causation between football and domestic abuse, absolutely not. But we’re saying that without the responsibility of football clubs in trying to create an atmosphere where misogyny isn’t tolerated, this can have a really direct impact on women when their partners come home from a match.”

In 2018, Serie A, Italy’s top division, partnered with charity WeWorld on a campaign about violence against women and girls. According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, around one-third of women aged 16 to 75 in Italy have suffered at least one instance of physical or sexual violence since age 16. Among those who have been in a relationship, 12.6 per cent have been victims of physical or sexual violence in their relationships.

“Serie A knew they could make a great mark in this battle, because they could reach an audience that no feminist association could reach,” says Greta Nicolini, head of content and external relations at WeWorld, which works in more than 20 countries and focuses on women’s and children’s rights. “We joined forces to imagine a message that could fit with a male target in the stadium.”

Nicolini says there is a “peak of requests” every year during the Un Rosso Alla Violenza — ‘a red card to violence’ — campaign. “(That shows) that our message has arrived where it should be.”

For one round of fixtures around White Ribbon Day — observed annually on November 25 and aiming to encourage men and boys to play their part in ending violence against women and girls — Serie A players and staff paint red marks on their faces to draw attention to the issue. In 2025, players from five teams wore shirts bearing the name of an important woman in their lives, instead of their names.

Supporting videos are played in stadiums, and WeWorld launches a data report. In 2025, it also introduced a ‘what to do when’ guide to help people intervene in potential cases of abuse.

“The supporters can see that it crosses over single players or single clubs,” says Nicolini. “They are together because this is something even more important than the game. And that it makes all the difference in the world.”

Coaches, such as Como’s Cesc Fabregas, and players in Serie A take part in the Un Rosso Alla Violenza campaign (Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Before fixtures around White Ribbon Day in late November 2025, La Liga players participated in the ‘Sport against violence against women’ campaign led by Spain’s High Council for Sports and State Secretariat for Equality and for the Eradication of Violence against Women. Players posed on the pitch with large banners before kick-off, captains wore commemorative armbands, and moments of silence were held in memory of victims of gender-based violence.

The closest equivalent in the UK is fixtures dedicated to Her Game Too, a campaign against sexism in sport established in 2021 and run entirely by volunteers. Her Game Too says it is partnered with 80 of the 92 clubs in the English football pyramid, and a handful of clubs held dedicated fixtures promoting its campaign in the Premier League last season.

These included Brentford vs Aston Villa on March 8 and Ipswich Town vs Arsenal on April 20. Players wore Her Game Too warm-up shirts in the former fixture, while at Ipswich, the club’s Her Game Too ambassador spoke on the pitch at half-time. The campaign was promoted on the big screens, pitchside boards, and matchday programme. However, these fixtures were organised between individual clubs and Her Game Too, without the involvement of the league itself.

“Campaigning is really important because it is the club taking a stand on what its values are,” Younane says. “We’re hopeful that that would have a knock-on effect on the many fans.”

Women’s Aid worked with the Premier League in 2022 on their internal strategy around gender equality.

“We would obviously like to continue working with the Premier League,” Younane says. “We know that there is interest within the Premier League and there’s huge influence that they could have, and we would encourage them to campaign more on this issue if they can.”

The UK government has recognised the value of using football in the fight. The Home Office ran an advert on Sky Sports between December 20 and January 31, bringing together footballers from multiple Premier League clubs — including England internationals Mason Mount, Noni Madueke, Jordan Pickford, and Dan Burn — and other sportspeople to address violence against women and girls.

It aimed to use football to reach a concentrated audience of men aged 18-34 and spotlighted different forms of abuse that women and girls face — from public harassment to controlling and coercive behaviour.

“Footballers are, rightly, hugely influential role models,” Jess Phillips, the government’s Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, tells The Athletic. “When they call out violence against women and girls, men should listen and help drive the change that’s needed.”

The advert was produced by Sky Media. The Premier League was not involved in the advert’s creation.

Sky has recently released longer discussion-based videos with sports stars aiming to draw attention to violence against women and girls, the latest of which features Newcastle United’s Burn discussing the issue of unwanted touching.

Several Premier League clubs also run their own initiatives, including campaigning around White Ribbon Day in November.

“The more men that can have that moment of realisation that they are part of that solution, that they can do something, that’s where football can help,” says a White Ribbon UK spokesperson. “It’s just such an effective way of engaging thousands of men.”

White Ribbon partnered with Chelsea and Bournemouth in November for their ‘Writing’s On The Stalls’ campaign, placing posters in men’s toilets at Stamford Bridge and the Vitality Stadium that called on men to help prevent violence against women by calling out sexist comments and jokes.

“It’s definitely becoming more of a league-wide commitment and it’s becoming more of a conversation amongst all clubs,” says Hannah Powis, head of EDI and engagement at Bournemouth. “Players are role models to a wide variety of people. If we can get involved in a message like that, hopefully more people will listen to it and more people will take it into account.”

“We recognise as a football club that we do have a bit of power to create change.”

For White Ribbon Day in 2024, Bournemouth were praised for their video campaign, which showed the journeys of a man and a woman home from the Vitality Stadium after dark. The following year, the club were made aware of footage of two male Bournemouth supporters intervening after witnessing a woman being harassed on public transport.

Powis says the club wanted people to know how to “step in and help” if someone felt unsafe: “If we’ve got an example of that happening, then it makes it all worthwhile.”

London clubs, including Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Tottenham Hotspur, have previously joined up with local transport authorities to support anti-sexual harassment campaigns. Chelsea have had police representatives present at men’s and women’s games to discuss preventing violence against women and girls. At January’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, United partnered with local authorities to raise awareness among supporters.

Younane says the engagement from clubs is inconsistent and too dependent on key individuals. “There have been some pockets of good practice and interest in trying to address this,” she adds. “But unless we see change across the piece and indeed at that national level, I don’t think we’re going to see the change that we want.”

“Not a lot of the partners that we work with in football have done a huge amount to specifically focus on women,” Varney says. “It’s not been prioritised in the way other forms of discrimination have been.”

Sources with knowledge of the Premier League’s position, who will remain anonymous to protect relationships, insisted there was no gap between how they address violence against women and girls and other topics. They pointed to examples of work by clubs including Southampton, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bournemouth, and London teams.

They highlighted the partnership with White Ribbon UK and stressed a belief that lasting change comes from sustained, practical work delivered in partnership while bringing together clubs, community organisations and experts to drive progress.

They told The Athletic that by the end of the season, White Ribbon and the Premier League will roll out a Fan Ambassador Programme to aim to prevent harmful behaviour by helping male fans act as allies to challenge everyday sexism, promote healthy masculinity, and build a zero-tolerance culture towards violence against women. Clubs will be able to draw training and support from White Ribbon, while the UK government will collaborate with the league and its foundation on educational resources.

“We want to see the Premier League use its power to show leadership, speak clearly and consistently about the root causes of violence against women and the need for long-term change,” says Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition.

“With its reach and influence, football has a unique opportunity to help transform attitudes, challenge inequality and send a message that violence against women is not inevitable.”

Why is this not happening already? “Across the world, gender-based violence is a topic that people find very difficult to look at, because it’s easily hidden,” Falodun-Liburd says. “I think a lot of the time, people think it’s easier to hide it or suppress things that have happened, rather than addressing it head-on.

“For these brands and corporations, like the Premier League and the clubs that we’re talking about, I think they fear that it will have an impact on their bottom line, but I actually think the opposite will happen.

“Fans and the broader public will respect the effort to address an issue that is so prevalent, not just within football, but more generally.”

There is the risk of perceived hypocrisy in some cases. Barcelona were criticised in November when, just before holding a minute’s silence to commemorate women killed by male violence, they posted a video welcoming Jerome Boateng on a visit to the club. Boateng was found guilty in a German court of premeditated bodily harm against his former partner.

Barcelona said Boateng’s presence was “solely a one-off, educational visit… not an institutional invitation for any sporting or representative duties.” It added: “The club remains fully committed to combating gender-based violence. We understand the sensitivity surrounding this issue and regret any perception of inconsistency.

“Our tributes and moments of remembrance for women killed by male violence are an essential and non-negotiable value for us, and nothing that took place was intended to undermine that message.”

Younane highlights the importance of campaigning being supported by relevant training for staff and players, “so that they know and are educated on domestic abuse, on what toxic behaviours look like, what coercive control is, so that they’re able to role model this within the club as well. Campaigning is important, but it can’t just end there.”

The Premier League’s Safeguarding Standards require clubs to carry out safeguarding and healthy relationships training with players, including topics such as sexual relationships, seeking consent, and understanding sexual harassment and bullying.

The Premier League is working with White Ribbon UK (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Campaigners and experts The Athletic spoke to mentioned barriers, including concern about backlash from fans, and a lack of women in senior leadership positions in the industry.

“I don’t think there’s the expertise on campaigns around women, particularly violence against women,” Varney says. “I don’t think there’s the appetite either, to be honest. That’s mainly because of the leadership.

“How do you empathise with people when you’re not from that community? You’ve got to have diversity of thinking in the room. I do think that’s really missing at senior leadership.”

Data released by the Premier League in November 2025 shows that overall, 29.7 per cent of staff at Premier League clubs are women (not including those working solely for a club’s women’s team). In the workforce of the Premier League itself, 45.1 per cent of employees are women, with two board members of five being women. Sources with knowledge of the Premier League’s position highlighted that £2.25million had been invested by the league through the Football Association to further diversify football’s future workforce, while full bursaries have been funded by the Premier League for women at clubs across England to enrol onto Women In Football’s leadership course.

“Equally, I do think there are reservations about whether this appeals to our core audience, which is men of a certain age,” Varney says. “There is an audience element in this as well.”

“When we do work with clubs or even the Premier League, FA, et cetera, we often engage with women on this issue at those clubs,” Younane says, “and I think there’s something to be said about making sure that the men, often leading these clubs and involved, are taking an active role and interest.

“It can’t just be something that’s delegated to women who happen to work in this environment, or we’re not going to see the change and impact that we need.”

There are challenges in targeting a predominantly male audience with campaigning about predominantly male violence. “You could, if you get this wrong, come across that we’re accusing male fans of behaving in a way that affects women,” Powis says. “But actually, what we’re trying to do is start a conversation and give people tangible actions. Most men want to help, they just don’t know how.”

Powis understands why clubs might feel nervous: “But ultimately if we all didn’t approach difficult conversations, we’re never ever going to make any tangible change.”

“When football stars and institutions engage meaningfully in tackling violence against women and girls, it sends a powerful signal that abuse is not acceptable and that gender equality matters,” Simon adds.

“This has the potential not just to change football, but to have a seismic impact on wider society.”