By Tom Prosser

Welsh football is fighting back at the abuse directed towards female players.

Wales star Jess Fishlock has said:  “It’s heart-breaking to see the abuse aimed at female footballers who are playing purely for their love of the game”.

In a bid to protect player, the Football Association of Wales and the Welsh Government are joining forces to tackle online hate towards girls and women.

“Trying to put someone down because of something they love, is not big, smart or funny,” explains Fishlock, who is Wales’ most capped footballer.

“I always say that people should think about how the person receiving the abuse could be affected before sharing and I’m glad to have worked with my Cymru teammates and the FAW to further educate others on what is and isn’t acceptable online.”

The new initiative is based around an engaging and powerful video which features many Welsh internationals who react to real life examples of online misogyny and hate speech.

🗣“Misogynistic behaviour cannot be tolerated.”

We can all play a part in tackling misogyny both online & offline.

That’s why we’ve joined @wgmin_education to launch resources on the impact of this abuse & how to safely challenge it 👏@WG_Education | @LlC_Addysg pic.twitter.com/2U1T8bAV4M

— FA WALES (@FAWales) October 19, 2021

Both the FAW and Welsh Government believe that education is key to tackling the many forms of online hate.

Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education, insists the Welsh Government will do everything they can to bring an end to this type of behaviour.

“Abuse, hate and harassment of women, whether it takes place online or offline, must not be tolerated and we will do everything we can to tackle it,” says Miles.

“A key part of dealing with online misogyny is to make sure that there are resources to support these important conversations to take place.

“It is vital to provide people with opportunities to learn about their rights and the rights of others, as well as the impact of such abuse and the harm it causes.

Those tweets are horrendous! Everybody deserves to play and enjoy sport. I’m sure those who tweeted didn’t see the screamer @JessFishlock scored recently out in the US.

— CJ Parker (@cjp_88) October 19, 2021

“Importantly, the resources raise awareness of how to safely challenge online abuse, so that we can all play a part in making the internet a safer place.”

Sian Jones, who is responsible for player welfare at the FAW, stresses that football should be a fun experience for everyone.

“At the FAW we want people to have an enjoyable and positive experience of football, both offline and online,” says Jones.

“Football can be such a powerful tool; we are grateful to use the FAW’s platform to work with partners across Wales to continue to make a stand against online hate.”