A woman's place is in the stadium. A woman's place is in the stands, among the fans. A woman's place is on the field. A woman's place is wherever she wants. This Wednesday, March 8th, International Women's Day, Flamengo launches a new positioning for its female fans. More than a commemorative project, the #MaisMulherNoEstadio manifesto was created to not end in just one day. It represents a set of actions the club intends to adopt, some already defined and others still being developed, listening to those most interested in the subject: the female fans. To this end, the club will create a specific channel to listen to suggestions, answer questions, and learn from complaints.
"Women deserve the same space as men in all sectors of society. This includes football, which is a very male-dominated field and therefore still needs dates like this to draw attention to the feminist cause. Flamengo's tributes demonstrate the club's stance on this issue. We want more female fans in our stands, more female employees on our staff, more athletes for women's sports, and we also want to bring more women into the club's daily life. We want to make them feel welcome wherever Flamengo is. This is a project that begins at Flamengo, but we hope it will grow and reach other clubs," explains Antonio Tabet, Flamengo's Vice President of Communications.
There are many reasons why women stay away from stadiums: violence and male harassment are among the main complaints. According to data collected by Flamengo, only 10% of participants in the Nação Rubro-Negra Program are women. The lack of interest and the distance from stadiums led the club to study the issue. The #MaisMulherNoEstadio project was created by women, for women. The first meetings were held with Flamengo fans; the campaign planning was done by women; the final text was written by a female writer; the production company chosen to film the script considered the presence of a woman in a decision-making position.
"We want to break with this dynamic in football that always prioritizes the male audience and only remembers women on specific dates. We need more female representation and actions designed by women for women," said Milena Zindeluk, a copywriter at the advertising agency NBS and one of those responsible for the project.
Among the special initiatives, the club intends to create more products and partnerships designed for women, by women; generate changes in services and offerings for members; and introduce new solutions to improve women's access and presence in stadiums.
Special shirt launch
A product for women. One of the first initiatives within this new concept takes place this Wednesday. In addition to the existing women's shirts with a feminine cut, which are already available in stores, Adidas has embraced the initiative with the club and, in honor of the nation's women, sought to create something unique: a pink and black women's shirt. This is just one of a series of products Flamengo plans to launch for this audience.
Women on the field. Next Friday, at 9 a.m., on the main field at Gávea Stadium, Flamengo will host another event to commemorate International Women's Day: a soccer match will bring together Flamengo fans and none other than the club's greatest idol, the eternal star Zico.