#SeAkabo, a cry that is also worldwide
Leaving world champions was a sporting feat, a milestone for the new generations of women soccer players. The triumph was overshadowed by the non-consensual kiss of the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales to the player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony. It is necessary to actively reject machismo in football and in all areas.
On Sunday 20 August 2024 It is a historic date because of what it means for "La Furia Roja" to have achieved the title of world soccer champions for the first time (say Wild, champions are not said). With the rush of victory, It should be discussed how to take advantage to advance against machismo in sport and in society, against prejudices and stereotypes in a space as masculinized as soccer. Nevertheless, we are forced to raise our voices in the face of a reprehensible act.
kiss not consented
Once again, macho and retrograde attitudes have managed to remove the role of women. It happened when the president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, in an act of abuse of power, decided that at the medal ceremony he could grab Jenni Hermoso by the head, player of the world champion team, and stamp a kiss on the mouth. A few minutes after the television of the whole world reproduced that reprehensible fact, jenni stated "But what do I do?? I didn't like it, eh”. When a player who has just been part of a historical event must explain the situation instead of celebrating, something of all that that fails daily makes us even more noise. And that noise fills us with rage, when who stars in it comes out to declare: "Don't pay attention to the idiots and the stupid (…) We are not for assholes”., wanting to deny with insults what everyone had seen on the television screen, and trying, and if that was not enough, silence the victim and revictimize her.
some rejections, too many silences
During the following Monday, the mass media were waiting for the different associations, soccer leagues and federations will express themselves. and little by little, samples of rejection arrived almost dropper, like that of the Betis player Borja Iglesias, and requests for resignation. But one more time, who had to come out to defend himself, it was jenni beautiful, who through the FUTPRO union issued a forceful release in which he expressed “its firm and resounding condemnation of behaviors that violate the dignity of women” and asked the Federation to “implement the necessary protocols, protect the rights of our players and adopt exemplary measures”(…)”It is essential that our selection, current world champion, is always represented by figures who project values of equality and respect”.
Almost simultaneously the Professional Women's Soccer League, filed a complaint with the president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), that joined the complaint made by political parties, referees and where even FIFA itself has intervened by opening disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales. It should be remembered, Besides, that even the protocol of action against sexual violence of the RFEF establishes in its point 4 that physical contacts like “attract with the arm with the intent to kiss them” O “kiss by force” should be considered “situations, attitudes and behaviors related to sexual violence”.
attack on feminism
This is how a week has passed, in which, we insist, the world title went into the background. It is that after five days of media and social convulsion, during which women have had to come out to defend our rights and our voice that tried to be silenced by the majority of the men's soccer team, the extraordinary assembly of the RFEF, held on friday 25 of August, unanimously applauded Rubiales' decision not to resign. Not only that, also endorsed a man who denies reality and criticizes feminism saying that “false feminism is a great scourge in this country”, making a social movement responsible for its macho attitude, retrograde and abusive for which he is accused today and points out. What Rubiales calls "false feminism and scourge" are the women who defend our rights, those who have not been able to silence and those who, if we have learned something, is to never shut our mouths again, because we know we are not alone.
Royal macho and authoritarian Federation
Since the non-consensual kiss, Rubiales has been insulting those of us who criticize his attitude and attacking the feminist movement with a clear right-wing speech, under the protection of the RFEF that acts as the mafia boss of a factory. It should be remembered that in 2019 the players had to strike for better wages and conditions, which are at an enormous distance from those enjoyed by men. In 2022, 15 players resigned from the national team after a tense situation with coach Vilda and the RFEF. They asked for a better family conciliation during the concentrations since not having it affected their emotional state. Made some improvements, but the RFEF never understood football as a female profession and only allowed them to return 6 of the soccer players who had resigned.
A system of clientele and big business
Support for Rubiales is not based solely on macho sympathies. The RFEF is a private body made up of 140 members, 20 of them are fixed, 19 They are the presidents of the territorial federations, and the rest are variable, with representations of soccer players, referees, trainers, etc. The Federation receives money from the clubs of the Spanish League, of television rights of some tournaments and of the State. At the end of each campaign, the budget is left at zero and the benefits are distributed among the clubs according to the category. The large sums of money in dance buy wills, something that has been made more visible than ever in the assembly that supported Rubiales. Where a retinue of men applaud another man, who blames feminism. The apotheosis of patriarchy.
Out Rubiales
The "progressive coalition" government intends to channel what happened institutionally to prevent us from winning the streets. We, We repudiate Rubiales' attitude and call to throw him out with the mobilization. We also support the players of the national team who, through a release They expressed that they will not play again if Rubiales and other leaders do not resign from the RFEF. #SeAkabo.
The reactionary justifications will be applauded by the entourage of men in suits that surround Rubiales, but the women who fight every day against this capitalist and patriarchal system, we will not let it pass in silence. There is no consent that serves as an excuse when there is sexual abuse of power. There is no football harangue that shows that Jenni wanted a man to kiss her by force on the most important day of her professional career.. Society needs these types of actions to be condemned in an exemplary manner, because future generations need to have role models who fight for their rights in all areas. If Rubiales is bold enough to grab his genitals to celebrate, in front of thousands of women watching, should have the same "cojones" to admit their sexual abuse and resign. talk about consent, when you forcefully grab a woman's face and kiss her, It only shows disrespect and abuse. from now, We do not believe that only his resignation is a panacea that makes the RFEF a more egalitarian institution, but it will surely prove, that machismo has no place in a sport where women are proving to be just as great as men.
Silence is another form of complicity
Supporting Rubiales is a shameful attitude. To minimize what is happening or to remain silent is to be complicit in a situation that, of not being socially sanctioned, will be repeated with different manifestations. The harassment that manifested itself in the delivery of the World Cup medals is just a small sample of the abuses that women suffer daily in all areas, because macho attitudes are an essential part of the reigning patriarchy. For this reason, we will continue to mobilize until patriarchy and capitalism fall together.
