Sexism in football: A problem that isn't going away

English anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out has told BBC Sport that, by the end of February 2026, they had received more than double the amount of reports of sexism at football games compared to the same stage of last season.

So why is it happening? How can it be stopped? And what kind of impact can receiving sexist abuse at football have on a person?

The BBC’s Sophia Hartley is joined by Dr Misia Gervis, a chartered member of the British Psychological Society, and Zoe Hitchen, a former English Football League club photographer who now co-leads GIRLFANS, a photography-led project documenting women and underrepresented football fans.

Zoe discusses some of the sexist behaviour she was subjected to while working in football, including being groped by a club mascot, while Misia explains why some people feel emboldened to behave in a sexist way at football matches and how people can tackle behaviour of that nature.

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