On the 20th (local time), in the 2023 FIFA Australia/New Zealand Women’s World Cup final held at Sydney Stadium Australia, Spain won the championship for the first time ever by defeating England, the head of football, 1-0. However, as the controversy over the “forced kiss” of Luis Rubiales (46), head of the Spanish Football Association, which erupted at the awards ceremony after the match, spread out of control, the atmosphere of celebration cooled down, and large-scale rallies denouncing the culture of macho (male supremacy) prevalent in Spain caught fire. spreading like Rubiales, who was at the pinnacle of Spanish football called the ‘Invincible Armada’, suddenly became a ‘macho man in crisis’.
On the 28th, hundreds of protesters held purple placards and flags advocating for women’s rights in central Madrid. Previously, 81 players, including 23 players who won the World Cup, had signed that they would not play for the Spanish women’s national team unless Rubiales stepped down as president. The women’s national team coaching staff and six other national team coaches of different age groups also resigned.
When the situation turned out to be unusual, FIFA also imposed a 90-day suspension of duties on Rubiales. Spanish prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation into whether Rubiales’ actions amounted to sex crimes, and the UN spokesman, Stefan Dujarric, issued a statement saying “severe sexism against women remains in the sports world.” Backed into a corner, Ruby Ales, however, revealed that she had no intention of resigning, saying, “The fake feminists are trying to kill me.” As of the 29th, he has not announced his intention to resign.
CNN said, “It’s been more than a week since Spain won a historic championship, but almost no talk of football is heard.” The macho culture is getting attention again.”
This incident, also referred to as ‘unwanted kiss’ or ‘kiss gate’ by foreign media, took place while viewers around the world were watching the awards ceremony on TV . After the finals on the 20th, Rubiales stood on the podium with Princess Leonore, first in line to the Spanish throne, to congratulate the winning players. Ruby Ales tightly embraced striker Heni Per Hermoso (33), who came in front of her, with both arms, then held Hermoso’s head with his two hands and kissed her on the lips.
This scene was captured on the TV screen, and afterward, it spread rapidly through social media, drawing criticism that it was an inappropriate behavior. Rubiales said two days later: “I am aware that I made a mistake. I did it without malice at the moment of greatest excitement.” Still, he said the action was “consensual in advance.” As if it was an apology and not an apology, the criticism towards him intensified as he appeared in a hurry for his self-excuse. Here, Hermoso, who was subjected to a ‘forced kiss’, revealed that “(Ruviales) was constantly pressured to make an announcement justifying the act at the time, but did not give in,” and the excommunication spread out of control.
Analysts say that this incident is an explosion of antipathy against the macho culture, which is deeply rooted in Spain. Even in the mid-2000s, Spain was considered one토토사이트 of the slowest countries to institutionalize gender equality. In particular, since the 1990s, domestic violence has emerged as a serious social problem. Some say that Spain’s macho culture is a remnant of authoritative women’s policies during the iron-fisted rule of dictator Franco (1939-1975). Until the early 20th century, Spain was considered a country with exemplary gender equality policies, but during Franco’s reign, it emphasized the image of a domestic and obedient woman, discriminated against women for adultery, and restricted women’s property rights and suffrage. implemented the policy.
In order to eradicate macho culture, Spain promulgated the ‘Royal Decree for Substantive Gender Equality’ in 2007, and in 2018, institutional supplementation was steadily made, such as enacting a law to strengthen punishment for domestic violence offenders. Nevertheless, it is analyzed that the recognition that the male-centered, authoritative and violent culture still exists in the sports world, and the ‘forced kiss’ became a catalyst for the festering conflict to erupt.
Even before this World Cup, Spain’s women’s soccer team protested over lower salaries than the men’s team, with some players refusing to join, demanding better equipment, training facilities and treatment. Coach Jorge Vilda, who led the national team, caused controversy with an overly authoritative coaching method, such as randomly rummaging through belongings in the name of managing players. There is also an analysis that this excommunication can improve the climate of gender equality in Spain. Mariam Martinez Bascuñan, a professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, told the New York Times that “this incident provides a tremendous opportunity for feminists and progressives in Spain to expose and change sexism even in the most male-dominated institutions.”