equality & SPORT action plan
Led by ENGSO Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee
ENGSO has been a frontrunner in pushing for equality in and through sport for decades, building networks and projects, and organising events that promote equality and advocate for European sport policy that supports the efforts of the sports movement in reaching equality.
To ensure a strong commitment to reaching these objectives, the Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee was created as a hub of expertise on equality. The mission of EWS is to activate and inspire European sport organisations to act on equality, through active advocacy work, education and awareness-raising, strengthening cooperation with ENGSO member organisations and other sport bodies. EWS advocates that everyone can (should!) practise sport safely and freely by promoting opportunities in all levels and sectors of sport. Only by reaching equality, we can use the full potential in sport.
With the objective of accomplishing this mission, ENGSO initiated a new Sport and Equality Action Plan. This plan has several phases and will be implemented thanks to the joint effort of all ENGSO bodies and members led by EWS.
2024-25 EWS Committee members
Chair: Tarja Krum,
Finnish Olympic Committee
Sarah Townsend,
European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation
Andreas Katsaros,
Hellenic Paralympic Committee
Rejhan Halili,
Kosovo Olympic Committee
Ivana Samija,
Croatian Olympic Committee
Alessia de Iulis,
ENGSO Youth
Equality and diversity events calendar
2024 Key actions
MARCH
Online seminar: Every woman is welcome in sport – are they?
The policy-implementation gap. Women are not a homogenous group. And are sport federations ready to change? These were the key takeaways from the “Every woman is welcome in sport webinar – are they” which took place on 4 March 2024.
The webinar also marked the kick off the GAP Women project #Women’s Day campaign, presented the main learnings from EWS 2023 research and shared the “Change readiness” research and good practices from the CHANGE project.
International Women’s Day 2024
ENGSO Office Director Marie Denitton moderating a panel at EPAS Breakfast Roundtable on sport officiating and gender equality: read news.
ENGSO Secretary General Sara Massini at the GAMES project final conference: read news
APRIL
UNESCO’s Policy Roundtable “Towards a Safer Playing Field – Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport”
ENGSO EWS Committee member Sarah Townsend participated in the UNESCO Policy Roundtable “Towards a Safer Playing Field – Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport” which took place on 5 April 2024, in Paris, France.
European Summit on Gender Equality and Diversity in Sport
The European Summit on Gender Equality and Diversity in Sport was held in Brussels, on 18 April 2024, organised by the ENGSO member Opes International within the framework of the project Sport and Equality which is co-founded by the European Commission. The main aim of the event was to coordinate the efforts in Europe in the field of gender equality and diversity in sport focusing on the implementation of the EU strategies on LGBTQI+ and gender equality.
MAY
The new research and data collection for gender equality and diversity in sport “Sport and Equality is launched
The investigation is a joint effort with the Sport Unit of the European Commission, with the EPAS of the Council of Europe, and with the Global Observatory on Gender Equality. For this reason, the questionnaire has been jointly agreed upon and also built to complement the work of the questionnaire launched by the joint European Union – Council of Europe project ‘All In Plus: promoting greater gender equality in sport’.
Communication campaign on LQBTIQA+ youth is initiated
New campaign has been launched to further promote gender equality and diversity in sport. Follow ENGSO and ENGSO Youth social media channels to learn more.
JUNE
EWS member Sarah Townsend participates in a panel “Being an LGBTI+ professional athlete in France, the Netherlands and Europe”
On behalf of ENGSO, EWS member Sarah Townsend accepted the kind invitation from the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to France, H.E Jan Versteeg, in partnership with the NOC*NSF (Dutch Olympic Committee and Sports Federation) to the panel discussion entitled “Being an LGBTI+ professional athlete in France, the Netherlands and Europe”, which was hosted at the Ambassador’s Residence in Paris, France, on Monday 3rd June 2024.
JULY
EWS at the “LGBTQIA+ and Sports – Past, Present, Future” event and Helsinki Pride 2024
EWS Chair Tarja Krum and EWS Committee member Sarah Townsend participated in the “LGBTQIA+ and Sports – Past, Present, Future” event and the Helsinki Pride which took place in Helsinki, Finland, on 27-29 June 2024.
Position paper: Participation of LGBTQI+ Youth in Sport Governance
Youth participation in decision-making processes constitutes a longstanding discussion with the youth sector and revindication amongst young people, who demand the necessary representation in order to effectively and meaningfully fulfil the right to participate in our democratic societies.
September
Guidelines: Hosting inclusive events
This document presents guidelines to complement the bid books for the Annual General Assembly, the European Sports Platform and the European Youth and Sport Platform, as well as other ENGSO-sanctioned events. Its aim is to help event planners organise and coordinate the elements and activities necessary in creating events that take place in a welcoming environment for everyone, and that foster an atmosphere that is enriching, impactful, and inclusive for all participants.
Online seminar: Transforming Sports through Accessibility
Within the framework of the 2024 European Week of Sport, ENGSO EWS Committee organised an online seminar, entitled “Transforming Sports through Accessibility”, to present the organisation’s newly published guidelines for inclusive events and discuss accessibility of sport for people with disability, LGBTQI+ community and women.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.