Lewes Football Club re-launch gender equality campaign

The East Sussex football team brought back the drive during Sexual Violence Awareness week, a year after it was previously introduced, calling on men at the club to stand up to discrimination on and off the pitch.

In a statement, the club said: “Even in a year which saw remarkable progress for women’s football, our sport remains a bastion of male power and privilege.

"At Lewes FC we are committed to changing these perceptions and using the footballing space to stand up to discrimination on and off the pitch.”

The club is collaborating with Sussex-based charity Survivors Network and will have male staff members and players encouraged to take part in the organisation’s Bystander Training.

The training will aim to teach men how to challenge sexist language and behaviours in a safe and productive way.

The campaign will also include a new hashtag to go alongside the #CallHimOut pledge, encourage people to #CallHimIn too.

A club spokesperson explained: “Calling him in’ is an action which exists to start discussions and create awareness about the damage of certain language and/or actions.

"As a club we want to not only call out this kind of behaviour but also encourage important conversations that can help stamp out violence against women in football and beyond.”

In July 2017, Lewes FC became the first professional or semi-professional football club to pay its women’s team the same as its men’s team, as part of its Equality FC campaign.

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The club said: “We are very lucky to have a fantastic group of players in our men’s team that all want to participate in this campaign.

"When any member of the Lewes FC team or senior management hears or sees something done by a colleague, family, friend or passer-by that is disrespectful, sexist or harmful in any way to a woman, whether she’s there or not, we are pledging to speak to that man, #CallHimOut and start a productive conversation about why their behaviours or actions are damaging.

“Football has a huge influence on our society, and we are committed to using our platform to take a stand against sexism and misogyny – Join the team and make your pledge today.”