On December 31, 2016, a spate of molestations against women gripped the city. Bengaluru Football Club (BFC), one of the leading football clubs in the country, decided to take a firm stand against these crimes by launching the #WeForWomen campaign for the 2017 I-league
season; in the season opener game, the team walked out in pink kits in support of women’s safety, with a message played on the big screen. With crime against women on the rise, the club has relaunched the pink third kit for the 2024-25 season, and announced the #LouderThanEver initiative.
The initiative aims to raise awareness about crimes against women and promote women’s safety by making their games a safe space. Several initiatives were taken as part of this, including setting up safety desks with medical professionals and police presence, setting up mobile toilets, and allowing free entry to the West Block in a match against Mohammedan SC. “We, as a football club, have always believed that we not only want to win trophies and be successful on the pitch, but also make a difference off the pitch as well. We probably have the maximum representation of women fans in the stadium,” says Darren Caldeira, the Director of Football, BFC.
Many were initially sceptical of the initiative, questioning how a football club would impact a women’s cause but Chaithra Satyanarayan, who has been Bengaluru FC’s fan since 2017, notes the importance of awareness within the football community, saying, “It’s about a need for awareness. BFC is a very prominent club in the community. The space they have has been used to initiate conversations about women’s safety.” She adds that she goes with a lot of women friends for matches and none has felt unsafe and faced instances of misbehaviour.
In the game against Kerala Blasters, the club, along with Parinaam Foundation, gave 22 girls from underprivileged families a chance to walk with the players and sing the national anthem before the kick-off. Ryan Williams, a BFC midfielder, says that he felt proud of the initiative by the club.
“It was our way of making women feel welcome and bring them into the sport of football as well. We want to grow the game among men and women and we’re doing good not only for women, but for the whole country,” he says. Noting that women have the right to enjoy the game as much as men, he adds, “I hope the club can push forward this initiative to the next season. Women have the right to feel safe and hopefully we can be a part of a real change.”
The club is also having conversations with the police and local organisations to create further awareness. “We have more initiatives coming where the club can collaborate, with a vision of creating a safe environment for women,” says Caldeira.