Women’s football in the UK has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. After decades of discrimination and oppression, the women’s game is now finally starting to receive sufficient funding, has regular game time slots on TV, and football players are starting to become household names.
For many of us, this is welcome change. The Lionesses are not just football players but role models for little girls across the UK. They are passionate, outspoken, and advocates for women in sport. They promote positivity, teamwork, and work ethic, which leaves us asking the question, why do they receive so much hate?
Since Mary Earps was awarded Sports Personality Of The Year this month, she has received an unprecedented barrage of hate and backlash. Public figures have called her out on social media, questioning her right to win the award, her career and her achievements.
On our Twitter page, we love to celebrate women’s achievements, especially in male dominated fields. We congratulated Mary Earps for being awarded Sports Personality of The Year and to our surprise, our Twitter mentions were full of hate the next day. We want to address some of the comments we’ve seen on our platforms.
“She doesn’t deserve it as she hasn’t won anything.”
Mary Earps has had a highly decorated career that has spanned over a decade. This year alone, she was awarded the Golden Glove for her performance at the Women’s World Cup where she played every minute of the tournament and kept 3 clean sheets. Mary was also named England Women’s Player of the Year for her outstanding performance.
“I have no idea who she is.”
Mary Earps is a highly experienced and successful athlete. She has a Wikipedia page, a profile on the official England FC and Man United FC website and is reported on extensively in the media. Feel free to google her name and familiarise yourself with her career.
“We need a men’s Sports Personality of The Year as this is a joke.”
The past 3 winners of Sports Personality Of The Year have been female however male athletes have received Sports Personality of The Year significantly more times than women. Out of the 70 recipients, only 15 have been female in the award’s 70-year history.
Misogynistic insults and language
There has been a wide range of inappropriate, misogynistic insults aimed towards Mary. This includes insulting her clothing and appearance. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion on who should win the award. However, we pose the question as to whether the same treatment would be given to a male athlete. If a man who you deemed unworthy of winning the award actually won it, would people automatically insult his choice of clothing?
For all the hateful comments, there are more people who are pouring nothing but love and support for Mary Earps. The Women’s Organisation is one of them and we will continue supporting women athletes and their achievements into 2024 and beyond. We love you, Mary!
Who are The Women’s Organisation and what do we do?
The Women’s Organisation fights to empower women and for equality in women’s health and economic development. Follow us on our social media.
