Organizations from the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the three countries that will host the 2026 Football World Cup, have launched various campaigns against gender-based violence coinciding with the celebration of the matches scheduled between June 11 and July 19.
The initiative, aimed at raising awareness and curbing sexual violence in the context of major sporting events, is led by three entities: the National Network of Shelters of Mexico, the organization Shelters for Women of Canada, and the National Network to End Domestic Violence of the United States.
The three organizations are based on previous records showing that, during major international sporting competitions, calls to hotlines against sexist violence increase notably. According to this data, the volume of reports can increase by up to 30% during these periods and includes complaints of rape, abuse, and harassment, in addition to episodes of verbal violence.
The new campaigns are now focusing their attention on the States that will host the World Cup matches, where historical statistics reflect particularly high rates of this type of violence, especially in areas with a prior context of strong violence against women.
With the slogan "Violence against women is not part of the game," the promoting organizations aim to provide safe spaces for reporting and prevention, reinforce social awareness, and offer specialized support and accompaniment to victims.