Everton Women will join the Barclays FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship in their commitment to eliminating all forms of discrimination from football by showing their support for Kick it Out's #TakeAStand campaign this weekend.
Everton will wear the Take a Stand logo on the front of their warm-up shirts at their WSL clash against Arsenal at Meadow Park this Sunday (12:30 kick off) to highlight an ongoing commitment to driving positive change on and off the pitch.
They will continue to wear the #TakeAStand patches on their warm-up shirts for the rest of the season’s WSL fixtures, after also sporting them at their 1-0 Continental Cup win over Manchester United this week.
Take A Stand is a challenge and an invitation for individuals and organisations to publicly commit to their own pledge to help raise awareness and create further conversation about discrimination.
Everton is committed to tackling discrimination and to promoting equality and diversity.
In 2018 Everton and Everton in the Community launched All Together Now, a campaign to promote and celebrate equality and diversity and to embed equality and diversity across all policies, procedures and initiatives, engaging with fans, staff, players and the wider community. The All Together Now branding features across the Club and charity and on club social media channels.
This week, Everton was awarded Silver in the Sports Diversity category of the 2020 Sports Business Awards in recognition of the impact of the campaign.
2020 also saw Everton achieve the Advanced Level of the Premier League Equality Standard (PLES) and become one of the first football clubs to sign up to the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme. Everton has also developed a number of new staff networks - Women’s, LGBT+, Disability Network and Race Equality Network - to inform the Club’s work and ensure a culture of inclusiveness and anti-discrimination.
Edleen John, The FA's International, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director, says: "We are committed to delivering a game that is free from discrimination and it is important that everybody plays their part in helping to achieve that. Take A Stand will give fans and others involved in the game the impetus to support us on this journey and tackle this issue head-on. We know that discrimination exists in society and often manifests itself through football, and only by working together across the game to drive meaningful change through action, can we truly ensure the game is a safe and enjoyable environment for all."
For those who would like to make a pledge, either individually or as an organisation, or want more information on how to do this, please contact Kick It Out at info@kickitout.org. For more information about Take A Stand, visit: www.kickitout.org/take-a-stand.
You can also make a pledge by joining the conversation on social media, just use #TakeAStand and tag Kick It Out in your posts. You can find them on social media as below:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kickitoutofficial
Twitter: @kickitout
Instagram: @kickitout
Anyone who witnesses an incident of discrimination in football - whether it took place online or at a grassroots, non-league or professional game, can fill out an online reporting form at kickitout.org or by using the charity's app.
