Visa calls on fans to ‘Get on Her Side’ in AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign

Visa is using its support of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to shine a light on the often ugly online abuse female athletes endure on a daily basis.

The campaign, Let’s Get On Her Side, highlights the role supporters play in shaping a more positive culture around women’s sport, at a time when participation and viewership continue to grow but online abuse remains widespread.

Research cited by Visa shows 87% of elite sportswomen have experienced gendered online abuse.

The multi-platform campaign launches as the AFC Women’s Asian Cup gets into full swing and will focus its efforts across streaming platforms Paramount and Netflix, alongside social media activations designed to encourage fans to publicly support female athletes during the tournament.

Visa has been a global partner of women’s football for around 15 years.

At the centre of the work is a video series featuring Visa ambassador and Olympian Flynn Southam, who reads out real online comments directed at female athletes. Delivered in a deliberately light and comedic tone, the films expose the contrast in how male and female sporting success is often received online.

“When you’re competing at the highest level, the support you feel from the crowd and the community really matters,” Southam said. “This is all about backing female athletes with the same energy and respect they bring to their sport, not just when they’re winning, but every step of the way.”

The campaign comes as Australia hosts the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, a tournament expected to further accelerate interest and investment in women’s football across the region.

Meble Tin, head of marketing for Visa Oceania, said the campaign aims to extend the conversation around support for women in sport beyond moments of victory.

“Supporting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup means standing with athletes beyond the win,” Tin said. “Acknowledging the hard work they put in and the pressure they face in representing their country.”

“Backing inclusivity in sport is essential, not only to protect performance and wellbeing for women especially, but also to ensure the next generation sees sport as a place of opportunity, respect and belonging.”

With Let’s Get On Her Side, the payments giant is positioning the campaign as part of that broader commitment, aiming to turn increased visibility for women’s sport into more sustained and positive fan engagement.

As women’s football continues to attract larger audiences and greater commercial backing, brands like Visa are increasingly looking to shape the culture around the sport as much as the sponsorship landscape itself.