The Fight for Acceptance: Women In Football

Hello people, it's been a long time! (In fact, I'd say far too long!)

I haven't written a blog post in some months now, but despite this, it isn't because I couldn't be bothered - it was more because I was struggling to find an issue to actually address without seeming repetitive, or like I was ranting. It was only yesterday when I saw an article on Eva Carneiro and Chelsea calling for an end to sexism in football that I realised this issue still does need to be tackled. Much to my dismay, we are well into 2015 and still, still women are being dehumanised, desensitised and objectified due to their gender. We don't choose what gender we are when born, nor what race, species, sexuality or even what religion in some cases. Despite this, acceptance for all isn't happening. To put things back into context: men have gender privileges, simple as. Just because an environment (such as the game football, in this instance) is male-dominated, that does not make them superior. 

For those who don't know, Eva Carneiro is Chelsea FC's first team doctor and has been so for a number of years now. Being born in Gibraltar to a Spanish father and an English mother, it became clear to her what she wanted to do career-wise, as when she was just 16 she knew she wanted to pursue a job working in the medical department. "...women want to be leaders..." she said at a Swedish medical conference last year. She finished that particular sentence indicating how oppressed women were, due to the unwritten rules of society. You might think this doesn't concern you, perhaps because you aren't female, or perhaps because you yourself have never been on the end of sexist abuse, however it was Desmond Tutu that once said "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.".

So, what exactly happened with Eva? She was victimised by having vile abuse hurled at her. Two nights ago, the BBC broadcasted a clip of some Manchester United and other Manchester City fans shouting things like "Show us where you p**s from, you s**g, show us your m***e." Of course, this really isn't acceptable. These male and other female fans don't shout this at fellow men, such as male referees, whether because they aren't that way inclined or not is a different question. But the fact men don't receive this level of gender abuse does not mean they should be the ones doing this. The fact Eva is trying to work yet constantly is treated like a piece of meat is unacceptable. How about we start recognising her for her intelligence and compassion, instead of her assets?

It isn't just Eva (she is frankly, quite high-profile in the game) who even to this day receives such a level of abuse. Assistant referee Helen Bryne was targeted at an unspecific Football League game where fans taunted her. We know these women as figures who do a job, but what if it was our daughters, sisters, even mothers who couldn't fulfil their dreams and aspirations because they were worried some misogynistic, disgraceful beings would humiliate them to such an extent? It needs to stop. Now.

Following this abuse, Chelsea have called for an end to sexism in football and in all seriousness, this demand has needed to be made for a while now. They shouldn't be the only club wanting this either. Furthermore, the FA have urged all supporters to report sexist abuse when encountered because we can't, and we shouldn't have to tolerate this for any longer. Discrimination in a sport such as football where we are all supposedly "united" should not be happening in any shape or form, whether that's racism, sexism or dealing with non-heterosexual players. We should be embracing and accepting, not doing the opposite. Awareness is spreading of this though, thankfully. A campaign group called 'Women in Football' launched an anti-sexist social media drive yesterday, and all female staff in matchday programmes will be championed following International Women's Day, tomorrow.

However, whilst we can celebrate International Women's Day tomorrow, we need to eradicate inequality. Let's make it International  Women's Day every day, and make sure women aren't inferior, or superior either - because that isn't what I'm proposing. We just need to recognise women have every right to do the same as men without being abused. We are all humans and we are all equal. 

On that note, have yourselves a lovely week ahead. With love, 

Sophie xo 

Homosexuality: The Constant Battle for Freedom

Hello all, welcome back!

So, the festive period is drawing to a close and I have the desire to write a blog again. After looking for inspiration and failing to find any, I've decided to write one on an issue that potentially cost lives: homophobia and homosexuality. In society today, especially living in England, it seems impossible to go out and not hear one thing or another being labelled "gay". The question is, though: why do we persist in using what people are as an insult? Opinions should NOT disrespect anybody's existence.

Despite being in 2015, where people are openly bisexual, or homosexual, it seems strange that there is still such a large amount of hate directed at those; those who have embraced what they are and have freely admitted it, unashamed of accepting what and who they are. Perhaps, if more people were as happy with themselves as these, the world would be a better place. Unfortunately, it seems that we, (society as a whole), are unable to accept those who are "different". However, hate always stems from somewhere. What our elders tell us, how religion influences us, and in some cases, what our country's laws state are all factors that turn the spark into a flame. Indoctrination always has been a powerful tool. Yet it seems the media and what our idols/inspirations do is what has the biggest impact on us.

Several songs, articles and films are composed, written or made revolving around the homosexuality issue, each injecting snippets of disapproving thoughts into our brainwashed minds. If we get the message straight, without being judgemental, we would be able to accept people for what they are. In saying this, that can relate to several issues: hate springs from a lack of understanding on an issue. Though accepting gay people shouldn't need this, it isn't complicated - you don't abuse someone for being straight, so why do the same to a person who is simply attracted to the same sex? It's pointless, illogical and downright disrespectful.

"I know it's coming, there's going to be violence, I've taken as much as I'm willing to take. Why do you think we should suffer in silence? When a heart is broken, there's nothing left to break."

The above is a selection of quotes from 'Tripping', a song written by Robbie Williams in 2005. What shocks me the most is how artists are willing to risk their careers and call out homophobia in the music industry, and this really isn't anything new. The points made in these quotes remain the same though: why should they keep their sexuality a secret, just because society is reluctant to accept something irrelevant? If we keep living a lie, we won't have any hearts left to break. And lastly: homosexual people are fed up with fighting against those who oppress them, and can we really blame them? No, we can't.

When we look past the speculation that comes with being homosexual, we aren't just making their lives hell, we aren't just insulting them, we are stopping them from loving though, which is never tolerable. Every person has the right to love, nobody has the right to stop that happening. Imagine the shock that you'd feel when you discovered you were different, imagine feeling sick every time the harsh words like "faggot" were spat from the mouths of your ex-friends... Imagine. It isn't pleasant, and we are an effect on that. When we become more socially aware, we might appreciate each other for what we are. No freedom until we're equal.

"I can't change."

The line we hear so much when heterosexual people question a homosexual person's sexuality. Surely that makes us wonder how accurate that of religion is, for in this case, holy water is poison - sermons spew hate instead of love. Most religions preach love and compassion over anything else, yet turn themselves from "accepting of all" to judgemental hypocrites. And you're agreeing with that? I'm most definitely not.

At the end of the day, we need to overcome this small-minded prejudice. The stereotypes associated with homosexuality are already invading the brains of younger generations and soon, the hate will spiral out of control if we aren't careful. It's ironic though: we try so hard to find life in other planets, other galaxies and other dimensions, yet we can't even accept our own for what we are.

Why?

Because that's just the dystopia we live in.
I hope this post has been able to highlight just how important acceptance is in society today. After all, we are human, and unfortunately, can't de-sensitise ourselves. Anyhow, have a lovely weekend and take care!

Sophie x

 P.S, for the ignorant people who inevitably grace society with bitterness, no, I myself am not homosexual. However, I do recognise that each and every person should be treated as an individual equally. That may seem fairly outlandish, however the sooner we start doing the same thing, the better.

The Curse of November: Well and Truly Broken

The November Curse: it's been a problem for Chelsea ever since 2009, which was when we were last unbeaten in the month. The unexplainable decline in the team's performance as a whole took its toll and could have cost us several trophies. However now, Jose Mourinho's side have turned things around with the results from this November looking promising: WDWWWD. Surely, this is a sign that things are changing all for the better. Could we have a repeat of the 2005-06 season? Let's hope so!

A quick look at how things have gone so far:

It's November the 1st and Chelsea are all set to kick things off against their London rivals, QPR. After the minute's silence observed by all at Stamford Bridge, the atmosphere immediately became gripping. The pressure was on Chelsea as they set about maintaining the undefeated start to the season. In the early minutes of the game, one of Chelsea's latest additions, Fabregas, delivered three amazing corners. Oscar, Ivanovic and Fabregas had shots that followed, however it was Oscar's 32 minute right-footed goal that gave us the lead we deserved. Shortly after came the second 45 minutes, and despite shots from Oscar and a penalty-call from Hazard, it was QPR's Charlie Austin who scored the first goal of the half: the equaliser. In spite of this, it was Hazard who took the penalty that was very much deserved with 16 minutes left to play, and with no surprise, he scored it. Chelsea's impressive run continued.

Then, 5 days later, Chelsea took on Maribor in an attempt to get the maximum amount of points against the Slovenians. It was clear from the start that the visitors were the ones dominating which reflected in the first few minutes of the second half, where Ibraimi got a shot past Petr Cech (and fair play to him for that one!) with a well-aimed strike. Regardless of this, Chelsea were reluctant to let the Slovenians be victorious yet too many opportunities were either missed or not taken; the lead Maribor had did seem to have a negative impact on the Chelsea players and the clear penalty-shout that wasn't awarded didn't help us either. Yet in the 73rd minute, Matic took a chance and scored the equaliser for us. We could have won the match as with just 5 minutes to go, Hazard was awarded a penalty, but the keeper blocked the strike. We accepted the draw because after all, one point is better than no points!

Moving on, the 8th of November came and the match so many had anticipated finally was about to take place: Liverpool vs Chelsea. After only 9 minutes, Emre Can scored the first goal of the match, putting Liverpool ahead - not for long though. Cahill got one back for us just after 5 minutes and the battle to win commenced soon after. Chelsea were the dominant ones at Anfield, and several shots from Eden Hazard were unfortunately denied, however after some amazing play by Azpilicueta, (back in defence after his 3-match suspension), Costa netted the winner for us with 23 minutes remaining. Chelsea had now gone 17 games unbeaten. This match had been our 9th win in the league this season, and the only negative seemed to be that Gerrard didn't slip again!

The fourth match that took place in November for us was that against West Brom. Our domination in this game proved we had no longer fallen victims to the mysterious-month curse. The match was extravagantly opened by Diego Costa as he scored his 11th goal of the season by volleying the ball past Foster's clutches. After many other attempts on goal from our players like John Terry, it was Hazard who managed to secure the lead for us. The Belgian's shot was well-composed and that strike became his 6th goal of the campaign so far. Then, it turned out the visitors would have to play the majority of the game left with just 10 men, which limited their ambition and allowed Chelsea to dominate even more. The 3 points we deserved extended our lead at the top. We remained undefeated!

Then we had our 5th match in November and we won 5-0. A great result in the Champions League that enabled us to continue having a positive November. 3 minutes hadn't even passed before John Terry netted the first goal in for Chelsea, which was shortly followed by Willian's goal. The score was 3-0 at half-time due to Kirchhoff's own-goal, but the goal spree didn't end there. Substitutes Drogba and Ramires found the net with a great effort from the team throughout. The win didn't just mean we remained undefeated, but because of the 5-0 scoreline, we had equalled our all-time best Champions League result away from home; we won 5-0 against Galatasaray in 1999.

It was only yesterday we saw November end well. The 0-0 draw against Sunderland wasn't the best performance from us, however it did highlight some areas of football controversy. It appeared Sunderland 'parked the bus', yet were praised with 'quality defending'. It's amusing how 'parking the bus' isn't considered anti-football when it isn't Chelsea using that tactic. However Mourinho recognised this, and praised Sunderland for their defence. Despite this, it was clear Chelsea deserved a penalty as Gary Cahill was picked up, underarm. There were no other particular highlights, yet not every game of football can be a beautiful one. We didn't lose or concede, so let's take those as positives.

What happened, and what's changed?

Chelsea's latest additions such as Costa and Fabregas haven't failed to deliver. They've improved our squad depth which was already fantastic. We tried our best to manage with the International Break Tiredness too, and to be where we are in November, which has been awful for the past few seasons, sparks hope in all of the Blues fans. Having an end to the year this strong will ensure we're left with a high lead at the top, and that could provoke wonderful things in 2015.

Let's hope we remain unbeaten in December! KTBFFH.

Sophie x

       

Independence: Because We Deserve it

Well, hello there everybody! I hope you've all been keeping yourselves well.

I'd like to start this third blog with an issue that frustrates me pretty much every day: Women's Independence. The shocking factor is that we're in 2014, achieved the right to vote almost 100 years ago, yet still, we are not equal to men. Despite the fact not all women are victims of direct sexist attacks, it remains an underlying issue which we do need to address. Society may have become more equal since the 1950s and 60s, indeed, however is it still correct that girls are the ones who are told they need a man? Females are put under extreme amounts of pressure when really, they're perfectly capable and strong themselves.

Let's just apply this situation in a complete parallel universe: men would be made to choose between having a successful career for their personal satisfaction, with the alternative being keeping their significant other content. Imagining men as the more submissive gender seems crazy, especially with society dictating to women being equal. This should not be the case. Society needs to realise that women have nothing to prove, because every individual is unique, and their decisions should be their own, nobody else's.

As females, we're made to feel like getting a man should be our ambition in life. Even parents, who I have no doubt love and care for their daughters, do subtly hint that girls are inevitably going to end up as a "spinster" if they fail to change their ways. Telling a female that they have to change themselves for a man is completely unacceptable, and here, I speak from previous experiences, because I've been told that if I don't change my "feminist outlook" on life, I'll end up "on the shelf". I'm sorry, and I know I'm not the only female who takes on this mindset, but my lifelong ambition is not to end up relying on a man. We should be encouraged to improve the representation of women in public and political life, so I'm glad there are organisations out there that aspire to do this, such as "Women for Independence".

However, this is such a spectrum issue that it doesn't just impact women on one or two issues, it ranges throughout. One of the most recognised places for gender discrimination is in the office. In the UK, the gender pay gap stands at 15%, with women on average earning £5,000 less a year than their male colleagues. And this is the case in a westernised society. It doesn't stop here though, there are 130 million women
in the world who have been forced into having Female Genital Mutilation. One in three women will have been beaten or raped at some point in their lifetime with forty-four per cent of women in the UK having experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of fifteen. It appears as if all justice for these women has been scrapped. Baring in mind this issue is seldom discussed, we can't just dismiss this issue. Yes, males do, of course, get exposed to abuse and rape themselves, but on a larger scale, men have more of a voice than females do. We have the power to change this, and so we should!

The idea I'd like to propose is that we, as females, should be looked upon as equal. No country is free of the Sexism Plague, despite popular beliefs. Living in a westernised society enables us to do and say so much more than others - this means we have the ability to raise awareness, which we can only do if more people begin to talk about the topic and realise that gender discrimination is not tolerable. We also need to realise that choices relating to our private and personal lives are our own; they sculpt our future only. Nobody else is going to pay the consequences or reap the rewards in that sense: everyone has the right to do what makes them happy in moderation.

On that note, let's start raising awareness and changing things! Your gender does not decide what you're capable of, or your limits.

Have yourselves a lovely week and take care!

With love, Sophie.

Education's Society or Society's Education?

Hello everyone! I hope you've all been keeping well.

So, this is the second post already! It wasn't meant to be posted so soon after the first, however something happened in a class I was in earlier that made me realise: why do we allow ourselves to be defined by a grade on a piece of paper? Why aren't we taught to think outside the box? Why are all of us indoctrinated, and told only to write what the exam mark scheme says is correct? We have our own minds, so why can't we use them? 

Exams. Everyone has to do them at some point in their lives and for the most of us, results day is dreaded more than the tests themselves. When my class were handed their Maths Mock results back, it was the reaction of my fellow peers that was most significant to me. What was so shocking was that some 15-year-old students hung their heads in shame and disappointment, because a sole letter implied they'd failed themselves. Honestly, the education system these days is more corrupt than FIFA. 

Right now, somewhere in the world, there'll be a teenager, slumped down in a plastic chair, inadequacies covered with a blanket of shame and embarrassment. His mother is sat next to him, arguing his case in the heated discussion we call "Parent's Evening".
We, as students, are constantly patronised that we're "lucky" because we have "opportunities" that our parents and/or grandparents didn't have. Really, society's needs have changed since our parents or older generations lived.

Having said that, our elders condescend us for the one, simple reason: they don't know any better themselves. Yet it's always in the back of their minds that they've gone through life, never once needing to apply Pythagoras' theorem, pathetic fallacy or the biological layout of a leaf. They still might not be able to calculate the value of 'x', but they rely on society to tell them that their children are "hyper-active", "unfocused", "wayward" and "easily distracted", despite them having some of the sharpest minds in the school.

Returning to reality, how many equations, subjects and dates did we memorise just before an exam, never to use again? The number would be uncountable. How many A grades did you get which were never asked for when applying for a job? Trust me, it happens. And how many times have we remembered something 5 or 10 minutes after the examiner said "Stop writing.", only to receive your results one month later, showing you were a mark away from the top grade. Is society trying to tell us that if we'd remembered something those few minutes earlier, we would have been more qualified
for a certain job? Application forms agree with that sort of logic.

We all have different abilities, thought processes, genes and experiences - so why is a class full of individuals tested by the same means? We're made to feel stupid just because we might not be able to do a couple of sums. If this issue isn't addressed properly, it will become self-fulfilling prophecy.

The irony: every school has the audacity to have a policy on equality.

Exams are society's methods of telling you what you're worth, however you can't listen because this is the same society that claims "Abortion is Wrong", but then looks down on teenage pregnancy. The same society tries to promote naturalism in cosmetics, but the model on the box is always half PhotoShopped with fake lashes and hair extensions. Pastors preach charity yet own private jets; Imams preach against greed but are all obese. Parents say they want "educated kids" but constantly marvel at how rich Richard Branson is. The hypocrisy is ironic. It isn't worth listening to.

They test us with tests but the finals are never final because they don't ever prepare you for the biggest exam which is simply survival. What I've written is fairly outlandish so I don't expect  everyone to understand this, but if we just put ourselves in other people's shoes, perhaps we'd be less judgemental. We are live, human beings. We should not be made to feel worth nothing more than that D or A grade on results day.

This is our generation of Youth - the ones who found what they were searching for on Google, the ones who followed their dreams on Twitter, pictured their past, present and future on Instagram, and accepted destiny on Facebook.

We should not have to change, feel worthless, disappointed or unaccepted in today's society, no matter what you get. Not when today's society is so ironic and hypocritical. The message of this blog is simple: whether we're 18, 21, 45 or 60, we should not let exam results decide our future.

With love, Sophie.

The Initial Post: Football and Feminism

Welcome all!

So, here we have it at last - my first ever blog post! I must say, it has been somewhat exciting and unnerving at the same time. It's recently been on my mind, starting blogging, but I just haven't found the time. However now, what with the 2014/15 football season in full swing, I thought "why not?" - if I don't get round to doing this now, I won't ever, especially with 'sparks flying at Stamford Bridge'!

And on that note, I'm brought to the point of discussing the issues covered in this blog 
which will, (for those that know me, you'll already have a faint idea), surround the issues of feminism and mostly, football, or any other topics I spontaneously feel the need to cover. I suppose the main reason I felt the need to start a blog for was because it's a way I can express myself, and this is where the feminism aspect ties in. It is possible to be female, and love football for more than just the players, as you'll see when these blogs develop. Furthermore, I think it's a rather pleasant idea to be able to share daily experiences that can be rather enjoyable with those reading. 

So, what's so special about football?

I don't think you can explain the heartbreak you feel when you've lost your title hopes to your rivals, or when you've just conceded and gone down 2-0 in a match crucial for your team: it resembles a game of survival. But then again, you can't quite explain the sentiment of passion that rushes through your veins when you're going through to the final of the Champions League, or when you've just smashed your London neighbours 6-0 in the Prem. (Come on. It should be obvious I'm a Chelsea fan now!) However in saying that, football unites us. It isn't just a sport, it's a passion. That one precious jewel they kick about on the pitch inside our 'second home' harbours a million different feelings and it's a lifestyle. The craving is unbearable. We are football.

Then, why feminism? 

When you're interested in a sport that is, (and I'm not going to sugar-coat anything), predominantly male-dominated, it is hard to be able to "fit in", I guess. In today's society, females just don't like football - they'd prefer to be shopping, right? Wrong. Very wrong. That is why it's so hard to be able to not get frustrated when misogynistic comments are made, telling you to "get back to the kitchen", or go "clean the dishes". Unfortunately for us though, misogyny, discrimination and objectification of the female form are all present in the art of football too. Females deserve to be equal. We can like football too. We shouldn't have to 'prove' ourselves just because we're not male, and nor are we going to. Being feminist in a sport so masculine does benefit you; it disallows you to tolerate gender discrimination that exists in the 21st century, shockingly. It disables you from making the assumptions 'certain' sports should be left for 'certain' people (i.e - men). It does give you a sense of self-worth, it does give you something more to feel passionate about, and that's something we should all value.

I'd like to conclude on the small note of being happy with who you are. It does sound rather cliché, I'm aware of that, however I feel it's rather appropriate to end on this, considering the issues previously covered. Don't let yourself change for society, or for anyone. Accept who you are, even though that might not be what's "expected" or "wanted" from you. Everyone is original anyhow.

And that's the end of my first post! I did promise myself it was going to be short, but here we are! Have yourselves a lovely week, and if you've read this far, I do thank you. It's much appreciated!

With love, Sophie.

P.S, I'd like to just share this picture. It captures both of the topics covered: being able to be female and love football. Here's to more success for us!