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UNESCO Report: Women and Girls’ Access to Sport still Lagging far Behind
Context:
Ahead of the Olympic Games, a new UNESCO report reveals that women and girls still lack equal access to sports at all levels. UNESCO urges its 194 Member States to address these inequalities by implementing the report’s recommendations.
UNESCO’s Urgent Challenges and Recommendations:
- End Gender-Based Violence: 21% of female athletes (and 11% of males) have reported experiencing sexual abuse in sports.
India in Paris Olympic:
- The Indian team includes 117 athletes competing across 16 sports, such as archery, shooting, and boxing.
- With 70 men and 47 women, they will participate in 69 events and compete for 95 medals.
- The team also features a 29-member athletics group.
- Focus on creating and enforcing strong safeguarding standards and legal frameworks to protect athletes and hold perpetrators accountable.
- Reduce Teenage Dropout: 49% of girls drop out of sports during adolescence, a rate six times higher than boys.
- Address factors such as lack of female role models, safety concerns, and negative body image through targeted initiatives.
- Media Coverage: Only 5% of sports media coverage is dedicated to women’s sports
- The pay gap in professional sports is a prominent sign of inequality, with Forbes’ list of the 50 highest-paid athletes still featuring no women.
- Increase Women in Leadership: Only 30% of major sports federations led by women.
- The Paris 2024 Olympics is breaking new ground by achieving full gender parity among competitors for the first time, with an equal number of female and male athletes participating this summer.
Six Key Measures to ensure Gender Equality:
- Promote female athlete role models and involve male athletes as allies.
- Advocate for fair representation and support women in sports journalism.
- Strengthen laws and regulations to prevent discrimination and violence in sports.
- Create transparent and anonymous reporting systems for abuse and enhance legal processes.
- Develop training programs for sports professionals on gender equality and violence prevention.
- Integrate experiences of women who have faced discrimination into policy and gather gender-disaggregated data.
Indian Women’s Participation in Sports: Key Points
- Women’s participation in sports has increased significantly, from 2.2% in 1990 to 47% at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
- At Tokyo 2020, India fielded a 44% women contingent, reflecting progress in gender representation.
- Indian sports women like Sania Mirza, Mary Kom, Mithali Raj, and PV Sindhu have made significant contributions and inspired many.
- Positive Trends: Women from Haryana, traditionally a male-dominated region, are now excelling in various sports, indicating a shift towards greater female participation.
Challenges and Constraints:
- Lack of Encouragement: Many women face discouragement from parents and traditional social norms.
- Societal Issues: There is a general lack of sports orientation and motivation in society.
- Leadership and Motivation: Absence of proper leadership and mentorship limits opportunities for women.
India’s Initiation for the Promotion of Women in Sports:
Khelo India – National Programme for Development of Sports:
- Sports for Women: Focuses on less-represented sports for women.
- ASMITA Portal: Launched on 22 August 2023 to promote women athletes.
- “Dus ka Dum” Sports competition: Launched on International Women’s Day, March 2023, with over 1,500 events and more than 100,000 women participants.
- The BCCI has introduced pay equity policy for women cricketers to address discrimination.
- Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs).
- National Sports Awards.
- Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Sports Welfare Scheme
- National Sports Development Fund
- Sports Training Centres through Sports Authority of India (SAI)
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS):
- Support for promising athletes, including women, in modern sports sciences and international competitions.