AC MILAN PRESENTS #WEALLAREFOOTBALL

AC Milan, which has always been committed to promoting gender equality, is now presenting a ten-point manifesto to combat gender discrimination in the worlds of football and sport, outlining principles and attitudes that can be adopted by all in everyday life.

This is a sensitive issue that demands the utmost attention, as highlighted by the survey carried out by the Women in Football network in 2020. This revealed that two in three women working in football had been subject to sexism in the workplace, but only one in eight incidents had been reported. Half of those asked felt that, in the workplace, they were judged primarily on their appearance rather than their skill set or abilities, with there being a fear that their changing appearance over the years could impact their careers.

The #WeAllAreFootball manifesto explicitly sets out AC Milan's vision of a game for everyone, one where differences in gender or of any type are not recognised. It was presented during a round-table discussion held at the Casa Milan Studios. This saw Elisabet Spina, the Sporting Director of the Women's First Team, talk to leading figures in the field of gender equality both within and beyond the world of football. They were Alessandra Kustermann, President of SVS Donna Aiuta Donna Onlus, Simona Lanzoni, Vice-President of Pangea Onlus, and Cristiana Capotondi, the Chief Delegate of the Italy Women's National Team.

"With the support of the whole Club, we have started to go down an important path that will allow the girls and our staff to continue to work in a safe and protected environment. We also want to raise awareness among all our stakeholders about the importance of preventing incidents of gender discrimination," said Elisabet Spina.

Based on these principles, the Club - which, in addition to a competitive first team that play in the Women's Serie A, has a structured youth sector that allows girls and young women to cultivate their passion for sport in a professional environment - has launched a number of concrete initiatives in order to continue to guarantee its employees and members appropriate working conditions and increasingly safe spaces.

With this in mind, AC Milan has directly overseen changes to infrastructure and logistics to minimise the likelihood of uncomfortable situations arising for its staff and players. The Club has also consulted psychologists and educators with the aim of engaging in constructive dialogue that helps to maintain a healthy and welcoming environment and allows for professional development that is not tainted by gender prejudice.

The Club's commitment to promoting gender equality is part of its broader RespAct manifesto for social equity, equality and inclusivity, on which all of the Rossoneri's social responsibility initiatives are based. One such initiative that recently addressed gender equality is "Tutti i Colori dello Sport" ("All the Colours of Sport"), a project that involves Rossoneri representatives meeting and talking to secondary school students across Lombardy. Furthermore, Milan TV has just launched "SHE", a show where female personalities are interviewed about their personal and professional lives. Challenging issues that they, as women, encounter every day are also covered.