FIFA tells broadcasters to reduce focus on attractive women

By Boluwatife Ezekiel Olaleye

FIFA has asked national broadcasters and its own television production team to start showing fewer images of attractive women in World Cup stadia in future broadcasts.

FIFA diversity chief, Federico Addiechi, said the subject came up on Wednesday in a review of FIFA’s anti-discrimination programme in Russia, USA Today reports.

Monitors identified sexist incidents, including fans harassing female broadcasters, as having been a bigger problem so far than acts of racism.

Fans harassing female broadcasters while they worked are among about 30 cases of “sexism on the streets” reported to FIFA by the Fare Network.

Fare director, Piara Powar, said about half of those reported incidents involved female broadcasters being “accosted while on air.”

He estimated up to 10 times more unreported cases where Russian women were targeted.