International Women’s Day: the fight for equality in sport is far from over

Women still suffer from violence, under-representation and unequal pay

Children must be better protected from perpetrators in sport

More investment, political will and women’s inclusion in decision-making are needed

MEPs, national MPs and experts discussed women in sport and how action must be taken to address multiple forms of inequality, at an inter-parliamentary committee meeting on Thursday.

The annual inter-parliamentary committee meeting marking International Women’s Day (8 March) brings together MEPs and national MPs to discuss gender equality and women’s rights. This year’s theme was women in sport.

Opening the meeting, Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee Chair Robert Biedroń (S&D, PL) said that sport has traditionally been seen as a male preserve. Whilst the situation has evolved, the effects of ongoing abuse and unequal power structures on women and girls is worrying; today we are still far from equality. In her video address, President Metsola urged that, as legislators, MEPs and MPs must play their part to help women achieve in sport. Katarzyna Kotula, Poland’s first ever minister for equality, spoke of the number of children that experience abuse in sport and called for education and child protection standards in schools and sports clubs to end it.

During the panel discussion with experts, Swedish former football player, football coach and Olympian Pia Sundhage said that whilst she has witnessed the transformative power of sport in the lives of women and girls, they still face barriers in access to resources, equal treatment and support. Charline Van Snick, Belgium judoka and Olympian, spoke out against persistent sexism and the lack of support for women in sport, calling for an independent sports federation that can carry out impartial investigations and impose sanctions on perpetrators of abuse.

Etilda Gjonaj, General Rapporteur on Violence against Women for the Council of Europe said one of the key challenges is a lack of political and financial investment. Multiple discrimination in sport must be addressed, she said, with women from marginalised groups facing more barriers than others. Finally, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Carlien Scheele called for more women in decision-making, citing the shocking lack of women in sports governance structures. Member states need to collect data to understand why women are still so under-represented, she said.

MEPs and national MPs raised several concerns on abuse, unequal pay, the lack of investment in sport for young girls, barriers to women’s involvement in decision-making, and the inclusion of transwomen. Some offered examples of good practises from their countries, such as investing in retirement plans and career transition for athletes, and shifting the burden of proof away from the victim in abuse cases. All experts agreed that investment in sport is crucial from a young age, that confidential counsellors must specifically trained to support victims and that it’s not women that need fixing, but the system.