On the face of it high-profile women are hard to find at the World Cup. There are no female match officials, no stadium announcers, and there have been few women heads of state or government officials watching games sitting next to Gianni Infantino.

The fans of some teams in Russia reflect a more mixed picture; a journalist asked us the other day why the north European sides appear to have less women in the stands than the Latin Americans, or even the Saudis and Iranians.

The fact is that in most countries football is seen as the preserve of men, from the number of women involved in leadership, to the storylines of TV advertising, to the number of female toilets inside stadiums, and the constant shots of attractive women. The role of women is passive, often as objects of adornment, not as equal participants.

Women have been fighting for their space on the pitch, in the stands and across governing structures for decades. And despite recent changes, such as the number of women on the FIFA council, the focus on developing female stars, and the commercialisation of the Women's World Cup, it seems that when it comes to the (men's) World Cup women are fair game for sexist treatment.

And that is exactly what has been happening on the streets of host cities in Russia. Incident after incident shows male fans, often in groups, approaching women in ways that would be deemed sexual assault in their own countries. In the first few days Brazilian fans were filmed leading a Russian woman to chant about her genitals, another video from a Costa Rica supporter showed him ‘teaching’ a Russian woman to say “I want to suck your dick” in Spanish.

Another video emerged of a Colombia fan approaching two Japanese fans asking them to recite abusive content.

The Brazilian fans were reported to the police and could face deportation, fines and prison.

In Colombia government authorities condemned the incident, saying it "degrades women, insults other cultures, our language and our country" and called on fans of the tricolour to respect other fans.

https://twitter.com/Cancilleri...

Despite not being in the tournament, Paraguay has also been involved in this turmoil. Two Paraguayan journalists covering the World Cup shared a video online where they are seen teaching a female fan to say "I have a big vagina" in Guaraní - indigenous language. When asked about the meaning of the sentence, one of them responded it meant "I like Paraguay".

Their behaviour prompted condemnation from the Paraguayan Embassy in Russia and from the country's Secretariat of Language Policy.

Comunicado | La Secretaría de Políticas Lingüísticas @SPL_Paraguay expresa su repudio ante los hechos acaeicidos en el mundial de fútbol #Rusia2018 donde un comunicador paraguayo utiliza el idioma guaraní para reproducir expresiones obscenas y denigrantes. pic.twitter.com/hlzbGlq95b

— Paraguay TV (@ParaguayTVHD) June 22, 2018

And so it was that the world witnessed a shocking incident involving Deutsche Welle journalist Julieth González Therán who was assaulted while reporting on air.

It’s difficult to get inside the head of a man like this. He could have just photo-bombed her, but he felt he should lean in and kiss her while touching her breast. Before running off of course. It looked to most of us that he was playing power games, showing her he could impose himself on her anytime he wished.

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Other three reporters have also spoken up about the persistent sexual harassment by football fans in Russia and following incidents that involved them being kissed during on-air broadcasts. These include Globo Brazil journalistJúlia Guimarãesand Malin Wahlberg of the Swedish channel Aftonbladet TV.

At every World Cup, advertising campaigns and media imagery perpetrate stereotypes of female fans – the sexy supporter who doesn’t understand football. This is in spite of the fact that 40% of the TV audience are women. Don't just take our word for it, this is the official FIFA analysis of TV audiences for the 2014 World Cup.

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In Russia there has been another layer to it. The stereotype of the Russian woman as a promiscuous Slavic goddess has been part of the narrative from some at this World Cup, not just fans on the streets.

In May, the Argentine Football Association held a training course for officials travelling to Russia. It included a guide with content on picking up Russian women.

In Egypt, a female reporter wrote an article voicing the concerns of Egyptian women concerned about their husbands travelling to Russia and being adulterous with the locals.

Paradoxically there is another story to this World Cup. One that sees the spaces for women to make their mark are growing.

For the first time in the history of the tournament the General Secretary of FIFA (to all intents and purposes the Chief Executive) is a woman. And yes of course, she has energy and talent. Some commentators have taken the presence of Saudi women among their fans as proof that they are shaping the image of a new reformist culture there.

And Iranian women have taken the opportunity to travel to Russia to visit World Cup stadiums to see matches and to make a campaigning statement about their own lack of opportunities at home.

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The biggest progress has probably come in the growing number of women reporting on the event for broadcasters, news agencies and newspapers. In the UK that has led to a huge debate about TV commentators, pundits and reporters. Much of the debate has been negative of course, but the change has come and is unlikely to be turned back.

List of broadcasters who are women or media – outside of the UK:

Julieth González Therán, Deutsche Welle

Viviana Vila, Telemundo Deportes

Isabelly Moraiis, Fox Sports Brasil

Barbara do Monte Barbosa, Fox Sports Brasil

Vanessa Riche, Fox Sports Brasil

Cecilia Caminos, DPA

Marirró Varela, Radio Nihuil and Canal 7 de Mendoza

Débora Rey y Yésica Brumec, AP

Verónica Brunati, TNTSports,

Nati Jota and Agostina Larocca, ESPN,

Laura Couto, Telemundo

Marion Reimers, FoxSports

Alejandra Labraga, Montecarlo Televison

Marinela Lugano, Buen Dia

Florencia Simoes, FIFA

Marina Granziera, Gol Caracol

Milena Merino, Radio Programas del Peru

Jazmin Pinedo, Latina

Romina Antoniazzi, Peru Football Association

Talia Azcarate, GolPeru

Joana Boloña, ESPN Peru

Ana Lucia Rodriguez, GolPeru

Andrea Guerrero, RCN

Carolina Padron, ESPN Colombia

Ana Maria Navarrete, Gol Caracol Colombia

Liliana Salazar, Winsports

Sarah Castro Lizarazo, Diario AS

Jenny Gamez, Futbolred

Beatriz Pereyra, Proceso

Júlia Guimarães, Sport TV / Globo

Malin Wahlberg, Aftonbladet TV

Evgeniya Perunova, Match TV

Maria Komadnaya, Match TV

Anne-Sophie Bernadi, L’Equipe

Estelle Denis, L'Equipe

France Pierron, L'Equipe

Carine Galli, L'Equipe

Margot Dumont, Beinsports

Anne-Laure Bonnet, Beinsports

Nathalie Iannetta, TF1

Charlotte Namura, TF1

Vanessa Le Moigne, Beinsports