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Africa | Americas | Asia and the Middle East | Europe | Oceania EUROPE European Women
and Sport Group (EWS) The European Women and Sport Group (EWS) is a free-standing group consisting of representatives and contact persons related to or interested in the gender equality work of non-governmental or governmental sports organisations and bodies in their respective countries. Made up of 44 contact persons in 41 different European countries, it was founded as a practical result and follow-up of special working group activities which the European Sports Conference (ESC) had developed during the years 1989-1993. Since 1994, the EWS has had an associate member status at the European Sports Conference Executive Committee. The EWS holds national seminars, a biennial open meeting and a biennial European Women and Sport Conference that focuses on one particular issue. The most recent Conference, on "Women, Sport and Innovation," was held in Berlin in April 2002. EWS 1998-2000 (Finland)
When the Finnish Sports Federation began its work as the EWS chair, there were 29 member countries involved in the network. When Finland gave the Chairwomanship over to the German Sports Confederation in 2000, 41 member countries were part of EWS. During Finland's Chairwomanship, Guidelines were established for the network for the first time, defining the concept and means of EWS work. Three times a year the Finnish EWS Secretariat published a newsletter containing current information about EWS objectives, marketing, steering group, contact person functions and meetings. This newsletter also opened the application process for the 2000-2002 EWS Chairwomanship, and forwarded a survey about gender equality work to all member countries. The Finnish Secretariat organised the 4th EWS Conference in Helsinki in June 2000, under the theme "Women, Sport and Culture - How to Change Sports Culture?" Altogether, 250 participants from 47 countries took part in the conference. Speakers included Mr Jacques Rogge, President of the European Olympic Committees, ENGSO President Mr Bengt Sevelius, President of Finland Ms Tarja Halonen, Parliament Speaker Ms Riitta Uosukainen and Minister of Culture Ms Suvi Lindén. The Helsinki Spirit 2000 Conference Recommendations which resulted from this conference (see the full text in the Montreal Tool Kit) have further advanced the goals of EWS work. EWS 2000-2002 (Germany)
Albania The Albanian Women and Sport Foundation was founded in August of 1998. Austria In 1999, the Austrian Sports Federation conducted a study to learn about developments and trends in the field of Sport in Austria. Among other findings, the study showed that there is a lack of female presence in almost every area. As a result, the committee of the Austrian Sports Federation (BSO) decided to form a work group called Women in Sport to address this problem. The work group consists of a total of seven women, including two from each Umbrella Association and one woman from the Handicap Sports Association. After analysing the detailed research, it was found out that there is a significant lack of women, especially when it comes to officials and/or coaches. In terms of representation in leadership positions, the results showed that in 56 federations, only 72 women hold decision-making positions, as compared to 699 men. This means a percentage of 91% to 9%, and in 22 federations there were no women at all. Women in Sport therefore started a campaign addressed to all the Austrian federations and associations and their clubs, referring to the IOC recommendations and requesting that they take measures for a higher involvement of women in their leading positions and committees. The feedback was more than sobering. Only the three Austrian head associations replied, while all the federations remained and still remain silent. In the meantime, in 2001 a woman - Liese Prokop - was elected for the first time in the Austrian Sports Federation (BSO) as a Vice-President, as well as President of an umbrella association (UNION). This was a very important step for the future. In 2000, a meeting of former and active sportswomen was organised to discuss "Involvement in Sports Federations" and "Life after Sports." Many successful women in the fields of sport, economy and media agreed to exchange and pass on their experiences and thoughts in a new mentoring program, and many well?known top sportswomen and businesswomen attended the meeting. There is also another private organisation in Austria which supports women and sport initiatives: "Platform Women in Sports in Austria". Founded in 1997, it is a network composed of women from many different areas of sport. Its goal is to facilitate the development of sport from women's perspective, by allowing for the exchange of experience and opinions from a wide range of institutions and initiating goal-oriented lobbying. The network has initiated actions supporting women and sport that could be implemented in the existing sport structures, with an emphasis on successful co-operation between each sport area to facilitate a rapid change to a fairer sport culture. Croatia The Croatian Olympic Committee adopted the Brighton Declaration in 1999, and held a roundtable discussion on women and sport on June 1st of the same year. Participants called for gender equity, mutual appreciation of women in sport and a respectful view of women and sport. At the Annual Convention for the Croatian Olympic Committee, attention was given to the role and position of Women in Croatian sport. A Women's Committee was established, and efforts are underway to increase the percentage of women on teams and in decision-making positions. Czech Republic The Czech Olympic Committee adopted the Brighton Declaration in 1997. Since 1998, progress that has been achieved includes:
Finland One of the main areas of priority in the Finnish Sport Federation's (SLU) gender equality work has been the promotion of Women on the Move Networks in all of the SLU's 15 regions. A national Women on the Move Network was established in 1993, and has since served as a communication channel for 450 women involved in sports. Starting in 2001, SLU has also advanced a localisation process with its national Women on the Move members, who have gradually started working together on a regional basis. One of the functions of the network is to strengthen the connections between women of different age groups in sports around the country. Through their multiplied contacts, women will be likely to appoint a competent "sister" to a decision making position when one becomes available. One of the pioneering regional networks in Finland has been the "Oulu Ladies in Sport" (for more information, see Point 3 of the Windhoek Call to Action earlier in this report). Established in 1995, the Oulu Ladies continue to serve as an example for evolving networks around the country. Working in conjunction with the regional SLU units, the regional Women on the Move networks plan their activities based on local needs and conditions. Twice a year, key members of the regional Women on the Move Networks gather together in one region for education and the sharing of ideas. Although the percentage of women in decision-making bodies is generally growing slowly in the Finnish sports, some positive advancements have been made. For example:
The Finnish Olympic Committee initiated the Women's Elite Sports Project 1999-2000 & 2001. This program aims to:
Placing emphasis on the improvement of training quality, young athletes, Olympic candidates (team and individuals) and athletes with a disability, the program offers support to athletes and trainers; guidance in career preparations; intensified training and coaching follow-up; and development support for training systems. Results of the program to date include: increased financial and human support for female athletes and trainers; emergence of women's projects in the national sports federations (Finnish Ski Association and Finnish Athletics Association); more women on the Athlete's Commission of the Finnish Olympic Committee; more women in influential positions at the Paralympics.
France
The National Olympic and Sport Committee (CNOSF) of France established a Women and Sport Commission in 1999. In addition, a national network of women in leadership positions was formed, and the CNOSF worked with the Ministry of Youth and Sport to produce a film on women and sport. Increasing the role of women in the high-performance sport network has also been a priority. Composed of resource people within the federations and the regional and departmental branches of the Ministry of Youth and Sport (MJS), the network's objective is to help male and female athletes reconcile their athletic and professional lives. Today, 6 of the 26 high-performance sport officials within the regional and departmental branches are women. In the 23 regional centres for physical education and sports (CREPS), 5 women occupy these positions, up from none in 2000. There are also six women in the federations, up from 2 in 2000. It should also be noted that a woman has been named national technical director of one of the Olympic federations, triathlon, and another woman has been named director of the authority responsible for Olympic preparation. Additional progress within France includes:
The French National Paralympic Committee (Fédération Française Handisport) has reported the following progress in decision-making positions since 1998: 3 women in the Management Committee (20 members); 1 woman "Chargée de Mission"; 3 women Presidents of regional committees (25 committees). In addition, 27% of affiliated members and 40% of FFH young members are women. A development project has also been undertaken in order to increase the number of women in the French Sport for Disabled Movement; one way to reach this objective is to work in close relationship with other European partners (European Handisport Federations) and with European Paralympic Committees. Germany National Olympic
Committee In 2000 the NOC passed an Action Plan to support women in sport, which included an annual report about the status of women in commissions of the NOC. The NOC also made a commitment to publish more articles referring to women in official publications, and to use more women as speakers or presenters in events organised by the NOC. Based on the Plan, the project "Women in leadership - Action alliance to increase the proportion of women in leading positions in sport" was started in 2001. (see Point 11 of the Windhoek Call for Action earlier in this report for more details). The overall project is divided into two closely related sub-projects: the "research" sub-project and the "field of practice" sub-project, which will concentrate on the following tasks:
The project will begin in selected sports associations, regional sport federations and the NOC, and concrete projects will include the following areas:
On December 14-15, 2001, the kick off meeting was held in Berlin with over 35 representatives from government, sports associations, regional sport federations and the NOC. German Sports Confederation
(DSB) The percentage of women who are members of the sport clubs and therefore members of the German Sports Confederation (DSB) has risen from 10% when the DSB was founded in 1950, to 40% in 2001. Women hold 25% of the leadership positions within the DSB, and in many clubs, women members now outnumber men. Women in decision-making positions represent 10.4% of the 55 national governing bodies of sport that are members of the German Sports Confederation. Seven member organisations within the DSB are led by a woman as President, and 34 have female Vice-Presidents. The Women and Sport Committee of the DSB celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2001. Participation Programs Girls' and women's days, weekends and weeks for sport and exercise have also been organised since the early 90s in Germany, at both the regional and local levels. Participants usually come from all age groups and take part in all kinds of activities where no special abilities are required. There are young girls (6+) and senior citizens as well as girls and women with a disability, and the number of participants usually amounts to several hundred or even a thousand or more. These days, weekends and weeks aim to:
In addition to the sport activities, workshops and lectures are often organised, and child supervision is provided to allow women to bring their children along. Hungary In the year 2000, the importance of women's participation in all areas of sport and physical activity was raised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Hungary. For the first time in the history of Hungarian sports, the Ministry initiated action to enhance the opportunities for women of all ages and abilities to participate in physical exercise and all areas of sport. In order to discuss the different issues of women in sport - such as equal opportunities in participation in all sports, participation in decision making processes, safe and comfortable sporting environments, social and psychological needs, etc. - the Ministry organised the First National Conference of Women in Sports, which took place with unexpected success in November 2000. The conference also developed a Final Document containing the recommendations of the more than three hundred participants, which has been sent to over one thousand governmental and civil sport organisations, educational institutions, politicians in influence of sports and Parliament committees in Hungary, in addition to the main international sports organisations. The First National Conference of Women in Sports also created a solid base for Hungarian women in sport issues to be integrated into the recently developed Law of Sports, enacted by the Hungarian Parliament in December 2000. The Law ensures equal opportunities for men and women and for boys and girls to choose and participate in the sports they like, to contribute to the development and the leadership of their sports, and to enjoy funding to execute different sport programs. It also requires that all organisations, foundations, federations and decision making, leadership or controlling committees and bodies must raise the participation of women to 10% by November 2001, 20% by November 2002, 30% by November 2003 and 35% by 2004. In addition to the fundamental affects of both the First National Conference in Women in Sports and the Law of Sports on the development of women in sports, the Ministry has also funded a promotional program for women in sports with a specially designed logo and the slogan "Keep in Shape." The program includes weekly Women of Sports pages in a daily newspaper, articles in sports magazines and a weekly television health and lifestyle program. A book with practical advice for women starting physical exercise and a collection of international documents on women in sport have been published, along with a short video featuring women in leisure sports activities, the history of women's participation in sports, roles presently played by women in sport as physicians, psychologists, coaches and referees, and the success of women at the 2000 Olympics. The new challenge of women in sports programs in Hungary for the opening years of the new Millennium is to help influence the implementation of the recent achievements. The Ministry is continuing the communication program by expanding the "History of Women in Sports" film into a 30-minute program to be shown on national television, the Women in Sports Photo Exhibition to a temporary exhibition at the Museum of Sports of Hungary, and on the weekly newspaper pages and magazine articles promoting women's sports in general. Most importantly, the Ministry is planning to establish a grant system providing financial assistance for local sport programs and civil organisations ensuring regular exercise for female groups. The 2nd National Women in Sports Conference was held in March 2002, and a follow-up system will be built to generate the implementation of the articles of the Law of Sports. Lithuania The National Olympic Committee of Lithuania / National Women in Sport Association formed a National Women's Sport Network in the towns and regions of Lithuania. In addition, seminars for female leaders and administrators were organised, and the National Women and Sport Association worked through the newly established athletic festivals to raise awareness about women and sport, and established already traditional women's sporting days - demonstrating women's willingness and ability to coordinate sporting competitions and festive ceremonies. The Lithuanian Women in Sport Association (LWSA) is pleased to report that the number of women in sport clubs is increasing, as is the involvement of women in sport management. In 1995, the Brighton Declaration was published in Lithuania, obligating governmental and non-governmental organisations to advance equal policy for women and men in sport. Endorsement and implementation of the principles of the Brighton Declaration has significantly supported the activities of LWSA. Malta In response to the Windhoek Call for Action, the following initiatives have taken place in Malta:
The initial plan of action agreed and embarked upon by the WIS Commission focused on:
Norway The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NOC) has a comprehensive program to promote and develop the role of women in sport. The Brighton declaration was adopted by the Norwegian NOC in December 1998, and by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in March 1999. In 1995, the Norwegian NOC launched 'The Women Project' as part of 'Olympiatoppen,' to increase the number of women engaged as coaches and leaders within Norway's top level sport and to improve the quality of female participants in order to win more medals in the international arena. The Project brought together women identified by their particular sports federations as having the potential to succeed in top-level sport, and provided them with training, support and the benefits of being within an elite network. The aim of the Women Project was to reach 20% female representation of the support team to the Nagano and Sydney Olympics, and have a total of 10-15 medals taken by women in these two Olympic Games. Both results were achieved, with 21% females in the support team in Nagano and 22% in Sydney, and 11 medals taken by women. The goal to get more female coaches was not reached, and a special program should focus on that in the future. Several booklets and articles were written
both in Norwegian and English on the topics linked to the project,
and presentations of the project have been held in many countries.
As a closure to the project, an international conference entitled
"Investment in Women's Sport - pays off" was organised
in Lillehammer, Norway in May 2001, drawing 160 participants from
40 countries. A follow-up intervention project is planned for 2001-2003
to prevent eating disorders within all levels of sport for female
and male athletes. Workshops are being organised on the topic Female
Triad, and the NOC has promised 300 000 NOK per year for three years
for this project. Sub-project: Research Based on this background, on June 13, 2000, the executive board of the NOC agreed upon a set of guidelines relating to sexual harassment in sport which describe what sexual harassment is, where it happens, the responsibility of the support system and the athletes, and what to do when sexual harassment happens. Sub-project: Motherhood
and top-level sport Sub-project: Network/theme
days Sub-project: Training
and developing leaders and coaches The backing of the federations were of the utmost importance, as they were obliged to give participants the possibility to qualify as leaders, coaches or team supporters in the Nagano and Sydney Olympic Games. When needed, financial support was also provided by the federations. The focus was on creativity and the ability to get results and victories, and the federations were evaluated according to how they followed up on the participants in the program period. Sub-project: Elite
athletes Portugal The Portuguese Olympic Committee formed a Women and Sport Commission and adopted the Brighton Declaration in October 2001. Switzerland Turkey The NOC of Turkey Women's Commission was established in 1996, and started the Free of Charge Sport Schools project to give primary, secondary and high school students in Turkey's underprivileged areas an opportunity to participate in sports. The commission repaired sport halls in the selected neighbourhood schools, provided sports equipment and paid for the expert salaries. This year, 5,000 children - half of whom are girls - were given the chance to participate in sports through this project. The number of female athletes in Turkey's national teams has increased over the years. In the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, female athletes made up 25% of the Turkish delegation - the highest female representation to date. At the October 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunis, 36% of the Turkish delegation were women. The NOC of Turkey has also elected a woman member to its Executive Board, and has more women administrators in high-level positions. There are more female executive board members and Presidents in the National Sport Federations as well, and the number of female referees is increasing. Recent increases in women's participation are observed in football and wrestling, and Turkish women in general are making progress in all areas, including sport. United Kingdom The Womens Sports Foundation (WSF) is a non-governmental organisation committed to improving and promoting opportunities for women and girls in sport at all levels. Since 1998, it has worked closely with Sport England (its major funder) to produce a National Action Plan based on the Brighton Declaration and Windhoek Call for Action. Over 80 organisations have signed up to this plan, committing to effect change for women and girls in sport at the national, regional and local levels. Seen as "the voice of women's sport," the WSF responds to a wide range of enquiries (approximately 5000 per annum) from sportswomen, the media, sports organisations and politicians, has a Web site on the Internet and publishes a quarterly newsletter. Special programs and initiatives include:
UK Sport is a government agency charged with providing support to high performance sport at the UK level, and coordinating UK-wide strategy with the Sports Councils for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has recently established a UK Coordinating Group on Women and Sport with representation from the four Home Country sports councils, as well as WSF, the Women's National Commission and a range of other agencies. Wales England Scotland Mediterranean Women
and Sport Network From November 23-25, 2000, 430 participants from 18 countries gathered together in Antibes, France for the first ever Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Women and Sport. The final resolution of the conference recommended:
A significant conference outcome was
the recognition and declaration of the need to form a group, along
with a process in which to function, to act on the conference resolutions.
These actions would include creating a Mediterranean Women and Sport
network; establishing a pool of knowledge; creating an interactive
information network; organising meetings and symposiums; and establishing
international relationships and recognition. For more information
see: http://membres.lycos.fr/fscm/
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