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4th August 2022
09:51am BST
Shaista Aziz, co-director of the Three Hijabis said that the FA had yet to speak to the group on the subject but is pleased to see it had acknowledged the "urgency needed to tackle gender-based violence in football".
"This is an important first and long overdue step in the right direction. However, we need greater transparency on how this new guidance will be implemented by Premier League clubs. Any programme to tackle gender-based violence must be delivered by Violence Against Women and Girls specialists if it’s to be a meaningful change.
"The details matter, as does transparency and accountability. We’ve had productive meetings with the Premier League on these issues and look forward to meeting again to discuss implementation of our demands. The FA, in contrast, continues to be opaque, out of step, and dismissive in its behaviours towards us. We call on the FA to urgently engage with tackling gender-based violence across football."
Currently there are no rules in place which say that a club must suspend a player if they are arrested on suspicion of rape.
One unnamed Premier League club opted not to suspend a player - who cannot be named for legal reasons - despite facing three allegations of rape against two different women, one of which has since been dropped, while the other two remain under investigation.
"It is inconsistent and inconceivable that, in 2022, you can have a high-profile footballer accused of these very serious crimes and his employer says: 'It’s OK, he can carry on going to work.'" she added.
"It’s outrageous, and it completely goes against the grain of our open letter."
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