The English League has launched an initiative that has caused great surprise among soccer fans. It is known by the motto “On the ball” and once again, the English league once again shows itself as a pioneer in actions that aim to include women in sport.
And the thing is, if you go to a Premier League match, when you enter the ladies’ room, you may find a pleasant surprise. A dispenser with feminine hygiene products, tampons, pads, will be displayed in an urn so that, if you need them, you can help yourself for free of them. Along with them a very clear message “we believe that you should not have to pay for this, take what you need.”
It is estimated that a woman can spend about 5.000 euros in hygiene products for menstruation. A very high cost that not everyone can afford.
Three ideologues
The idea came about six years ago when Orlaith Duffy, Erin Slaven and Michaela McKinley They decided to start “On the ball” at the Celtic stadium in Glasgow. Equating pads or tampons with soap or toilet paper, they decided that they should be offered at no cost to users.
Today there are already many teams in the United Kingdom’s first division that have adopted these measures. Arsenal, Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town and Dundee United are some of the clubs that are offering these products for free. This measure is already being very popular on social networks.
The initiative is based on a fundamental pillar: eliminating taboos around female menstruation, “it is a sport predominantly dominated by men and thirty years ago, talking about menstruation would have been unthinkable,” declared Slaven when launching the action.
More fans in the stadiums
This is also intended to allow more fans to join the soccer fields, a must in all stadiums even in Spain. A study published in 2019 (prior to the pandemic) by SportMarket concluded that after having consulted in 22 countries show women’s interest in the beautiful sport, they represent 38% of football fans in the world while 33% of those who go to the stadium stands.
