For gender equity

Contribution:

Sport has demonstrated its enormous capacity to reinforce females and other identities’ empowerment and is playing a more important role to support the empowerment of especially non-male gender identities. Some contributions of Sport to the goals of gender equity are:

• Acquisition of life skills: e.g., girls are more likely to get better grades in school and more likely to graduate than others who do not play Sport.
• Capacity to foster empowerment, leadership skills and decision-making.
• Challenges to gender stereotypes and traditional gender roles.
• Providing safe spaces for disadvantaged groups based on their gender or sexual orientation (SOGIE).
• Involving men and boys in gender awareness: engaging and coaching/teaching them to become gender-aware individuals.
• In adulthood, Sport contributes to critical skills for success in the workplace.
• Impact in health and wellbeing.

International endorsement

Agenda 2030
Envisions a world in which every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality and all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment have been removed.

Beijing Platform for Action:
It is a guideline to removing the systematic barriers that hold women and girls back and, until now, remains the most ambitious agenda for achieving gender equality.

• Reduced support for females and non-binary people in certain Sport.
• Pregnancy and motherhood.
•  Sexual harassment, discrimination and forms of Sportgender-based violence.
• Poverty, heavy domestic demands, in case of a woman who is sustaining households.
• Socio-cultural norms and constraints such as leaving home unaccompanied.
• Body image perceptions, gender stereotypes and traditional gender roles.

Equity starts at home. Everyone and in particular males and hetero groups, needs to be involved

• Engaging boys and young men in gender equity is vital.
• There is a need to shift the dominant norms and ideas about gender and masculinity, and challenge the patriarchal beliefs, male privilege, practises, institutions and structures that drive inequality between men and non-male people. (43)

Overcoming economic constraints and other responsibility roles:

• Young women and young non-binary people should have a chance to earn and manage money. A person that is financially independent is an asset to their family and becomes less reliant upon others to meet their needs.
• Introduce vocational training opportunities and schedule practices during times when young women and young non-binary do not have to work. Also, be flexible if they have to miss training or a game for work.
• Offer non-economic incentives for participation: Non-economic incentives could include small prizes, clothing or equipment.

Organizing programmes and events:

• Organise complimentary activities such as art contests to see an interesting reference.
• Use female and non-binary athletes excelling on the pitch as role models: Young people will believe in their capabilities as a response to sexist portrayals and double standards for female and non-binary athletes.
• Develop and implement Sport programmes in accessible and safe Sport facilities.

Other tips:

• Consider two important aspects to target gender equity: 1. Participation in Sport for All and 2. Empowerment of girls, women, non-binary.
• Implement strategies to prevent girls from dropping out of Sport at an early age.
• Seek support from key people (family, friends, physical education teachers) to provide girls’ or young non-binary persons’ participation in Sport/physical activity/physical education. (44)
• Do not ignore barriers to girls’ or young non-binary persons’ participation in Sport and physical activity.
• In developing Sport-related information programmes, special attention must be paid to communication with women and girls because Sport typically addresses men and boys.
• Create spaces to share knowledge and experience with girls or young non-binary people in schools/community centres. (44)

• Implementing development goals: Sport and gender equality.  Click Here
• YDF Manual for Gender awareness. Click Here
•  Guidelines for gender-responsive Sport organisations. Click Here
•  Generation Equality: Realizing women’s rights for an equal future.  Click Here
• Sport for generation equality framework. Click Here
• TikTok challenges, video, to spread gender equity. Click Here
• Game Changers inspiring stories. (25)  Click Here 
• Mamanet. Click Here 
• TAFISA/AUSC R5 Women Leadership Mentorship Programme. Click Here 
• Daughters and Dads – Active & Empowered. Click Here
• HeForShe Equality campaign: a powerful initiative that encourages men to do things such as sharing responsibilities at home
• Cycling for Gender Equality in Rural India.  Click Here 
• Campaign in Turkey. Click Here 

SAMBO for All – Champions for Peace
(FIAS)

• Improves the quality of life, increases awareness of sporting activities and promotes SAMBO.
• Gold medallist of the 2018 World SAMBO Championships in Bucharest, Laure Fournier divides her time between her career as a top-level athlete, her job as a business development engineer, and her role as a young mother.
• Despite these challenges, she finds time to make this world a better place.

More information:
Champions for Peace master class  Click Here