The fight for a level playing field – Ending discrimination against women in the world of sport
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 13 October 2022 (33rd sitting) (see Doc. 15611, report of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination,
rapporteur: Ms Edite Estrela). Text adopted
by the Assembly on 13 October 2022 (33rd sitting).
1. Substantial progress has been made
in the field of sport in recent years as regards gender equality
and combating discrimination. Female athletes are beginning to gain
greater prominence in the media, some women’s sports competitions
have attracted worldwide interest and equality in sport is becoming
a major topic. The Parliamentary Assembly welcomes these developments
and encourages further efforts.
2. The world of sport, however, is not yet free from violence,
sexism and gender discrimination. It continues to be more favourable
to men. The #metoo movement, which has sent ripples through the
sports world, has helped to bring human rights abuses of this kind
to light. Sports federations have been called upon to act and implement
measures to prevent and detect violence and support survivors. The
Assembly reiterates its firm commitment to preventing and combating
all forms of gender-based violence and to promoting the ratification and
implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing
and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (CETS
No. 210, Istanbul Convention). It supports “Start to talk”, the
Council of Europe’s call for action to public authorities, the sports
movement and other actors to take appropriate preventive and protective
measures to put a stop to the abuse of and violence against children.
It also reiterates the support given by its
Resolution 2420 (2022) to FIFA’s
(International Federation of Association Football) plans to create
an independent multi-sport centre or agency to promote safe sport,
protect and support survivors, and to tackle impunity.
3. Inequalities in pay, treatment, access and status between
women and men are still common in both professional and non-professional
sport. Women, in all their diversity, are poorly represented in
decision-making bodies. Women have less access to sport because
of gender inequalities in relation to resources, time and lack of
infrastructure. Sexist comments and stereotyped images of female
athletes, questioning their “femininity”, regularly appear in the
media and on social networks. The Assembly condemns the hate speech and
sexism directed at female athletes, including lesbian, bisexual,
transgender, intersex (LBTI) athletes.
4. Female athletes must be recognised in all their diversity
so that appropriate measures to prevent and combat discrimination
can be implemented. Taking into account the intersectional dimension
paves the way for a targeted response and proper policies. The Assembly
calls to promote access to sport for all women and notes that discrimination
against LBTI women has a negative impact on women in general. The
Assembly condemns the use of sport as a means of controlling women’s
bodies.
5. Sport can be an important vehicle for changing attitudes and
for fostering respect and diversity. It can contribute to social
cohesion through its universality and raise collective awareness
of continuing gender inequalities in our societies. It can also
have benefits in terms of health and empowerment.
6. There is therefore a pressing need in the field of sport to
prevent violence and discrimination, promote gender equality, invest
in sport for all, encourage participation and put an end to the
“invisibilisation” of women. Men have an important role to play
in preventing and combating discrimination against women, in all
their diversity, in sport.
7. In the light of these considerations, the Assembly calls on
Council of Europe member and observer States, as well as on all
States whose parliaments enjoy observer or partner for democracy
status with the Assembly, to:
7.1 as
regards combating violence against women and girls, in all their
diversity, including in the field of sport:
7.1.1 take
measures to prevent violence against women and girls, including
LBTI women, in sport at all levels, including in schools and sports
organisations;
7.1.2 provide support to survivors of violence, with an independent
and specialised structure;
7.1.3 train sports personnel at all levels to prevent all forms
of gender-based violence;
7.1.4 ensure that perpetrators of violence are prosecuted and
put an end to impunity in this area;
7.1.5 launch awareness-raising campaigns on preventing and combating
gender-based violence, including at major sporting events;
7.1.6 collect, analyse and publish data on violence against
women and girls in sport;
7.1.7 ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention, if they
have not yet done so;
7.1.8 ensure the safety of all at sporting events;
7.1.9 implement the revised European Sports Charter of the Council
of Europe, if they have not yet done so;
7.1.10 accede to the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement
on Sport, if they have not yet done so;
7.2 as regards combating gender-based discrimination and gender
stereotypes:
7.2.1 implement Committee of Ministers Recommendation
CM/Rec(2019)1 on preventing and combating sexism;
7.2.2 implement Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)16
on combating hate speech;
7.2.3 invest in education on gender equality, train teachers
in these issues, including in the field of sport, and incorporate
a gender perspective in sports education from an early age;
7.2.4 prevent and combat sexism and gender stereotypes and all
forms of gender-based discrimination, in particular by adopting
legislation and codes of conduct and by organising awareness-raising
campaigns, including at major sporting events;
7.2.5 ensure the collection, analysis and publication of data
on discrimination in sport at all levels, and contribute to international
initiatives to collect and share data for the purposes of research,
awareness raising and the development of public policies and sports
practices;
7.2.6 recognise the fact that women from diverse backgrounds,
LBTI women, women with disabilities, women from a migration background
or with diverse religious affiliations are subjected to multiple
discrimination;
7.2.7 abolish discriminatory policies against LBTI athletes
and respect the human rights of female athletes in all their diversity;
7.2.8 ensure full and equal access to the practice of sport
to all women and, to this end, allow transgender and intersex athletes
to train and compete in sports competitions consistent with their
gender identity;
7.2.9 prevent and combat harassment of LBTI athletes and prevent
and combat lesbophobia, biphobia, transphobia and interphobia in
sport;
7.2.10 combat the over-sexualisation of female athletes, including
in the media;
7.2.11 promote inclusive and non-discriminatory media coverage
of sporting events;
7.3 as regards the development of sport for all women and
girls:
7.3.1 implement Committee of Ministers Recommendation
CM/Rec(2015)2 on gender mainstreaming in sport;
7.3.2 invest in the development of sport for all, at local and
national levels, and consider sport as a means of integration and
emancipation; work to ensure equal opportunities for women and girls
in all their diversity to participate in sports activities;
7.3.3 appoint ambassadors for gender equality in sport to carry
out awareness-raising activities in the media and with young athletes;
7.3.4 ensure that sports facilities incorporate a gender dimension
in their design;
7.3.5 support and encourage the broadcasting of women’s sports
competitions;
7.3.6 make the adoption and implementation of gender-equality
strategies, including a commitment to eliminating gender-based discrimination,
violence and sexism and to ensuring equal pay, a condition for obtaining
funding for federations and clubs;
7.3.7 call on federations and clubs to prohibit gender-discriminatory
practices, in particular as regards dress codes, where they are
not justified by the sport itself;
7.3.8 promote women’s participation in programmes designed to
train sports coaches and referees and support women’s access to
these positions;
7.3.9 adopt a gender-sensitive approach in the preparation of
budgets to be allocated to sports federations and structures.
8. The Assembly calls on sports federations to:
8.1 engage in the fight against
gender-based violence and discrimination and take appropriate action against
perpetrators;
8.2 support the practice of sport by women and girls in all
their diversity and promote athletes’ work-life balance;
8.3 ensure full and equal access to the practice of sport
to all women and, to this end, allow transgender and intersex athletes
to train and compete in sports competitions consistent with their gender
identity;
8.4 promote the participation of women, in all their diversity,
in the governing bodies of sports federations, notably through the
adoption of quotas aimed at achieving 40% representation.
9. The Assembly supports the continuation of the joint Council
of Europe and European Union project entitled ALL IN: Towards Gender
Balance in Sport. It calls for the project’s funding to be reinforced
and its tools and recommendations implemented.
10. The Assembly expresses its backing for civil society organisations
combating gender-based discrimination and violence against women
in sport and calls for these organisations to be given support.
