IOC welcomes new EU report setting out action plan to achieve gender equality in sport

15 Mar 2022 – A landmark report in the subject of gender equality in sport was printed currently by the European Union (EU) High-Amount Group on Gender Equality in Activity. Entitled “Towards Much more Gender Equality in Sport”, the report compiles recommendations and proposes an action approach for the EU Fee and EU governments, collectively with athletics organisations and civil culture teams associated in activity.

The report identifies and proposes tips about six important thematic places of engagement which are the most pertinent for community authorities and Intercontinental Federations (IFs): participation coaching and management social and economic aspects of sport media protection and gender-primarily based violence.

Supplying a vast range of greatest tactics in these regions, this intensive catalogue of illustrative tasks can serve as a multifaceted toolbox for policymakers and sports organisations to advance gender equality on and off the area of enjoy.

The IOC is pleased to see that numerous of these examples are initiatives carried out by associates of the Olympic Movement, which are at the forefront of driving gender equality in and as a result of activity. Every single Olympic Motion stakeholder is invited to use this report as a useful toolkit to accomplish a lot more gender equality.

Find the most important tips in the factsheet
Obtain the entire report

To mark this publication, the associates of the Significant-Amount Group formally presented their conclusions to Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Training and Youth. Commissioner Gabriel introduced the Higher-Stage Group on Gender Equality in December 2020 and appointed its 15 users, who are specialists from a wide variety of EU Member States and various walks of lifestyle, which includes previous athletes, politicians, IF users and distinguished lecturers. The operate of the professionals will lead to the implementation of concrete actions at local, national and European stage.

IOC Member Marisol Casado, who also chaired the IOC Gender Equality Overview Undertaking, is a member of the Substantial-Degree Group and one of the contributors to the report, assuring that the tips it contains are thoroughly aligned with the IOC Gender Equality and Inclusion Aims for 2021-2024 and the UN Ladies Sporting activities for Generation Equality Initiative.

Emphasis on women in management positions

Among the the thematic spots the report looks at are management, coaching and portrayal, which are also critical priorities for the IOC and the Olympic Motion.

However, gals proceed to be underrepresented in sports activities management, occupying only 14 for every cent of all best determination-creating positions in EU Member States’ National Federations. In reaction to this, the report proposes crystal clear and distinct means ahead for sports activities organisations to try for gender-well balanced illustration in leadership positions – like by setting a 50 for every cent representation quota for women of all ages in all choice-earning bodies, and set expression limitations.

Sanda Čorak, who contributed to the report as a Significant-Amount Team member and is also Vice-President of the Croatian Olympic Committee, commented: “It is terrific to witness far more and extra ladies and gals staying involved in sport each and every working day all over the environment.

“Still, girls in leadership positions are scarce and we must be a lot more engaged and much more persistent at area, countrywide and intercontinental amount to empower, educate and ensure an equivalent situation for all in activity.”

Partaking EU Member States

The energy of the report lies significantly in the point that its recommendations are resolved to all strategic stakeholders of the European sport ecosystem, namely the European Fee, EU Member States, IFs and organisations governing grassroots sport. Achieving gender equality in activity necessitates integrated responses and sturdy dedication from absolutely everyone included for meaningful and sustainable development to be made.

For example, closing the gender hole in sporting activities participation are unable to be accomplished devoid of the mobilisation of Member States, which can established up mechanisms to persuade the exercise of activity by women and females, which include by delivering safe services and equipment. In the exact way, the European Commission can play a major function in the combat versus gender-primarily based violence in activity by collecting info to evaluate the extent of the problem and the success of avoidance initiatives across the EU.

The report also stresses the want to undertake an intersectional method to gender equality motion to address the a number of varieties of discrimination – based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic position, and so on. – that females in activity may possibly confront. Inequalities that affect LGBTQ+ communities practising sport are significantly thought of, such as in relation to stereotyping in sporting activities protection – a issue the IOC has also tackled through its Portrayal Guidelines, aiming to entrench gender-equal and impartial portrayal techniques in all forms of conversation.

Download the entire report below