When England -defender Jess Carter revealed that she was subject to a barrage of racist abuse on social media during the UEFA European Women's Championship, it exposed a grim reality: the women's game blooms on the field, but it remains deeply vulnerable to discrimination and online abuse.
Carter's decision to step away from her own social media accounts emphasized both her vulnerability and the support she received from English head coach Sarina Wiegman, her teammates and the football club.
Within a few hours after her statement, the FA had called in the British police and started working together with social media companies to trace those responsible – who show an impressively fast and decisive response.
In October 2023, the Online Safety Act Wet, which means that social media platforms have a duty to protect users against content such as racist abuse. Platforms have the responsibility to identify and remove harmful content, including all forms of hate speech – with Ofcom responsible for maintaining legislation
In essence, the fight against racism in football is also a struggle for social justice and human rights.
Women are about 50 percent of the British population – collectively a formidable constituency able to stimulate cultural change.
The non -repellent support of Wiegman, its back room staff and the Lionesses team for Jess Carter illustrates how leadership and community can create a 'safe space' for victims, confirming that solidarity is a powerful counterweight for hatred.
But solidarity must reach beyond the camp of England. Earlier this season, Jamaican International and Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw, fresh from a record-breaking campaign, have passed common online attacks in the same way, despite her status and role model, both in the Super League of the ladies and in her home country.
The power of conviction that followed at both club, teammates and fans showed that confrontation with prejudices is of vital importance.
The nature of abuse has evolved. My generation was often personally confronted with racist abuse; On the field, on the terraces, on the street – the players of today tolerate digital attacks 24/7.
Nevertheless, the principle is unchanged: those responsible must be pursued with every conceivable force, subject to the most serious available sanctions and every refuge in anonymity is denied. Zero -Tolerance cannot be a slogan – it must be a legal and cultural necessity.
Allowing racism to normalize in the women's game would betray his remarkable growth. While the participation of the base, the welcome of girls from all ethnic groups and backgrounds, the duty of care to protect them – and to offer clear paths in coaching and administration – is of the utmost importance for long -term sustainability.
We have to learn from the men's game, where three generations of potential coaches and managers have been lost: despite black players who are good for 43 percent of the Premier League and 38 percent of the EFL quadrons, only 4.4 percent of coaches and 1.6 percent of the managers black are black. Such under representation is deeply worrying.
The charity arms of the Professional Football Club already use the range of sport to challenge racial and gender discrimination throughout society.
Equality and inclusion training must be mandatory in all sectors – the highly regarded inclusion training of Charlton Athletic is an example of this and offers powerful insights that promote inclusion and respect. To make the next generation future-proof, anti-discrimination and anti-racism education must also be woven into the national curriculum.
Racism in football casts a long, harmful shadow – it is deeply rooted, corrodes society and must be met with zero tolerance supported by solid sanctions. Just as the lion ribbons rightly demand: “Those behind this online poison must be held responsible.”
The racist abuse aimed at Carter is intensified and further strengthens the urgent need for stronger accountability measures within football, and emphasizes why the establishment of an independent football regulator is so critical.
Her experience emphasizes the need for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded not only in club culture, but also in the board frames that form the future of football.