Women, FIFA Soccer World Cup + Brazil

When people think about Brazil, what are the main ideas associated with the country? Probably the answer will be Carnival, beaches, bikinis, and soccer! Yes, you are right: soccer is the national passion. Differently from United States, where a variety of sports attract public attention, in Brazil our focus is almost 100 percent directed toward soccer fields and millionaire players.

Ronaldo, Pelé, and Neymar are names internationally known and provide a kind of flagship of Brazilian soccer abroad. This month, the world biggest soccer event is being held in Brazil and 200 million Brazilians are spending hours in front of the television, following the 32 teams that are fighting for the same goal: win the golden and desired World Cup trophy. Even a national holiday was created to celebrate the opening ceremony and inaugural match between Croatia and Brazil. Businesses were closed and families were united to cheer for the national team.

In Brazil, although men and women are involved with soccer, either as fans or players, this is clearly a male territory. While the Brazilian men’s team receives 99 percent of the attention and resources, the women’s team is put aside. With five World Cup titles, Brazilian male players are seen as heroes in our country. I am sure that Brazilians know by heart the name of most of our players, but cannot remember the name of three Brazilian state ministers. Unfortunately, female players do not have the same privilege, prestige, and attention. At the end of the day, women play a second, distant role in a male dominated arena in sports.

A few days ago, I was reading the newspapers and noticed that the presence of women in sports is not only secondary in the fields but also off fields. Sport journalists, reporters, and commentators are almost exclusively men. It is guy’s talk: men talking with men and about men. Advertisement from a television sports channel in Brazil shows the team of commentators involved in the FIFA Soccer World Cup. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5….15 people, all men.

Another clear expression of how soccer has become male dominated and oriented is the shoe sale ad campaign developed by Heineken, in partnership with a famous Brazilian shoe store. The campaign advertises red stilettos as a promotion at this famous shoe store, set to occur during the final of the European soccer championship. The underlying idea within Heineken’s campaign is that soccer is exclusively for men, while women belong in shoe stores and shopping malls.  Once again, machismo rules while women are excluded from male dominated realms. The advertising finishes with the following sentence:

 “You will watch the match with your friends and a Heineken in your hand; and the best part, while also freeing yourself from watching the game with your wife, because this time, she will be the one who will dismiss you.”

Can’t women talk about soccer? Are women not familiar with the rules, jargon or tactics of soccer? I am sure this is not the case. As a Brazilian woman, born and raised in the country, I was exposed to soccer since I was a little girl, playing, cheering for my team, going to the stadiums, and following the Sunday games on television. In Brazil, we breathe soccer, both men and women. So why are there so few women working as soccer commentators? Are we seeing here the same prejudice and male privilege working against women that we see off the field? Is the Latin machismo winning the battle?

Certainly, women are climbing up in corporations, politics, and sports. But here in Brazil, we are still seeing FIFA Soccer World Cup as a male dominated enterprise. I hope that in 2018, when the next FIFA Soccer World Cup occurs, we can see different statistics, a fairer participation of women, and new advertising showing a more balanced gender distribution.

By Cecilia R. Troiano

Cecilia R. Troiano is a Brazilian business owner, COO of Troiano Branding Group, and author of two books related to working mothers, both published in Brazil.

Photo by Serg Shalimoff | Shutterstock