With stadium actions during match day 8 all 10 women’s clubs will say „No place for discrimination“ and thus be the only women’s league in Europe to participate as whole in the FARE - Action Weeks. In addition to a series of portraits about women’s football clubs the stadium actions form the perfect end to the activities during the Action Weeks in Austria.
Women’s clubs set clear sign against discrimination in football
During line up the team captains will make a statement against intolerance, homophobia and sexism in football. Before kick-off a banner carrying the slogan “No place for discrimination" will be presented. The National League’s player of USC Landhaus, Lisa Ehold, says that until today women’s soccer has to face prejudice and discrimination:
“There are these prejudices that compared to men’s soccer women’s soccer is less athletic. But Austrian women’s soccer also celebrates great success. To be seen as equal women’s soccer definitely needs more media attention.”
The matches during round 8 on Saturday 31 October 2015 will be:
- SKV Altenmarkt – FSK Simacek St. Pölten Spratzern, 12 a.m.
- Mc Donalds LUV Graz – Carinthians Soccer Women, 13 p.m.
- Union Kleinmünchen – FC Südburgenland, 14 p.m.
- FC Wacker Innsbruck – USC Landhaus, 14 p.m.
- SK Sturm Graz – NÖSV Neulengbach, 14 p.m.
Football Respects Refugees
Iris Stöckelmayr, Media Officer of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB), emphasizes that not only the clubs but also the Austria national football team has a special function as role model. Not only the men but also the women’s national team is on a good course regarding the qualification for the European Championship:
“The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) and especially the national football team promote the defense of pluralism, diversity, integration and fairplay. The national team’s solidarity action under the slogan “Respect Refugees” has reached out to more than 1.000.000 people directly through its social media channels and has also been reported in most of the local media.”
Furthermore there are many grass roots initiatives that play an immense role for the joint struggle against discrimination. According to Nikola Staritz from the fairplay Initiative for Diversity and Anti-Discrimination this is perfectly seen in the numerous activities for refugees in Austria during the last months:
“Besides the National League’s clubs there is a huge number of non-professional clubs, grass roots organizations and fan initiatives that participate in the Action Weeks. They are all part of the football community and extremely important to take civil responsibility for the fight against racism, homophobia and propaganda against people because of the color of their skin as well as against refugees.”
Against Discrimination! Portrait campaign on women’s football teams in Vienna
In addition to the annual grass roots activities a series of portraits about women’s football clubs will be published in various media in Vienna. The portraits aim to emphasize female football players and their role in combating racism and discrimination.
With the help of the City of Vienna/MA 51 and FARE network the six football clubs USC Landhaus, FC Altera Porta, SV Wienerfeld, Wiener Sportklub, Dynama Donau und Dornbach Soxs will be portrayed. The portraits will be published by diestandard.at, the street newspaper Augustin, Sportzeitung, many district newspapers and by the end of November also on 
http://www.fairplay.or.at.
FARE Action Weeks all over Europe
Since 2001 different actors all over Europe participate in the largest anti-discrimination campaign. The FARE Action Weeks in Austria are coordinated by the fairplay Initiative for Diversity and Anti-Discrimination at VIDC and supported by the Ministry of Sport, the Austrian FA, the Austrian Football League, the City of Vienna/MA 51, FARE and UEFA, Vereinigung der Fußballer (VdF), the European Commission (ERASMUS+) and the Austrian Foreign Ministry (BMEIA).
Links
- The campaign poster is available for download here.
- A list of all activities during the FARE Action Weeks can be found here.
- Further information about the FARE Action Weeks available here: http://www.farenet.org
Contact:
Nikola Staritz
fairplay – Initiative for Diversity and Anti-Discrimination | VIDC
Möllwaldplatz 5/3, A-1040 Wien
staritz@vidc.org
phone: +43 1 7133594-96
www.fairplay.or.at
www.facebook.com/fairplay.or.at