#MeToo, Sport, and Women: Foul, Own Goal, or Touchdown? Online Abuse of Women in Sport as a Contemporary Issue

Abstract

AbstractOnline violence against women (OVAW), and online gender-based abuse more broadly, have been acknowledged at an international level as an obstacle to gender equality as well as women’s freedom of expression, positioning these phenomena as a concern from a human rights perspective. In particular, the scale, seriousness and the impact of social media abuse has raised questions about the appropriate legal protections for individuals from such forms of abuse and its harms. The world of sport has not been immune to the devasting impact of social media abuse, especially online hate, leading to a social media boycott within the British sport community in May 2021 as a protest against online hostility and discrimination. However, little action has been taken to date to address gender-based abuse and online misogyny directed at women in sport. Left unchecked and unaccounted for, instances of such online abuse reinforce the already existing structures and gender stereotypes that fuel gender-based hostility and violence against women. What is more, by being left unchallenged and allowed to play out in the very public context of professional sports, these behaviors become normalized, contributing to the continuum of violence against women, but doing so on a global and high-profile stage. While there have been controversial campaigns, such as taking the knee, there are few of any significance from the sporting world that address OVAW. Limited protections exist in terms of human rights, but little has been done by sporting bodies, sporting associations, and unions to add value to any initiatives aimed at tackling OVAW in sport. This chapter questions the role of sport in supporting the global action against violence against women, while also assessing the broader response to problems posed by online abuse, online harassment, and its gendered aspects. Do human rights protections go far enough? Is this an issue for sporting bodies, or is it an ‘athlete-only’ problem?