They now represent nearly one in five spectators of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches. And the Professional Football League (LFP) has decided to highlight them on the occasion of International Women's Rights Day. 8 March.
The 25th day of the elite, launched this Friday with the Nice-Montpellier match, and the 28th day of Ligue 2 will serve as support for a campaign intended to promote the presence of female supporters in the stands.
A project set up by the LFP with the Her Game Too association, mobilized to defend the place of women at the stadium.
“It’s a positive project, the idea is not to be pathos,” underlines the president of the French branch of the association, Anoush Morel.
The supporters have their place in the stands, we want to put them in the spotlight.
They are not there just as decorations or in the role of mothers responsible for supporting children, but also as enthusiasts who follow their team.
» A Nielsen study, carried out for the LFP in 2022, shows that their motivations for coming to the stadium are similar to that of men: supporting their club, experiencing the event, and enjoying the atmosphere.
On the program for this dedicated weekend: a video clip showing members of the association dressed in their club jerseys and extras in the stands, entitled “Le Siège”, will be broadcast on the giant screens of the stadiums.
The balls for the nine Ligue 1 matches will be brought by women.
In Nice and Lens, girls will accompany the players on the pitch and collect the balls during the match.
A QR code to report sexual violence in stadiums
In Ligue 2, Auxerre wore the association badge on its jersey on Saturday and it will again be on the Burgundian captain's armband against Saint-Etienne.
The Greens will have the badge on the jersey, and the inscription “Her Game Too” flocked in place of their name on the back.
The Girondins de Bordeaux will warm up with a T-shirt adorned with the first names of all the club's subscribers.
In Dunkirk, the players will also be accompanied by girls on the pitch.
At the same time, the association is launching a system to help women victims of sexual or gender-based violence in stadiums.
A QR code, which allows potential victims to fill out a report form sent to Her Game Too, will be installed in the toilets dedicated to women, of voluntary clubs.
Auxerre has decided to deploy it, Lille and OL are releasing one linked to their internal platform, and Saint-Etienne offers this functionality on its application.
Progress, while testimonies of sexual assault and harassment in the stands increased last year.
“Women must feel safe in the stands,” continues Anoush Morel.
There are too many sexist incidents.
They must be able to dare to talk about it, and stewards must be trained in sexual and gender-based violence.
» The association already intervened in December in Rennes to raise awareness among the stewards and the security service at Roazhon Park.
A first step to providing a safer environment for supporters.