UNESCO report: Women and girls’ access to sport still lagging far behind
Baku, July 23, AZERTAC
On the eve of the Olympic Games, a new UNESCO report reveals that women and girls are still far from having equal access to sport at any level, professional or amateur, according to the official website of the organization.
“UNESCO urgently calls on its 194 Member States to tackle these inequalities by putting in place the recommendations contained in the report. On 24 July, the Organization will bring together sports ministers from around the world at its Paris headquarters to develop concrete political actions.
21% of women athletes (and 11% of men) reported experiencing at least one form of sexual abuse as a child in sport. One of the policy priorities identified by the UNESCO Game Plan is ending violence against women and girls, which directly undermines opportunities, development and human rights, including the right to safely participate in and enjoy sport,” the report said.
According to UNESCO figures, 49% of girls drop out of sports during adolescence – this is 6 times higher than the drop-out rate of adolescent boys. This high rate of attrition is explained by several factors, among them the lack of women role models, concerns around safety, lack of confidence and negative body image. Since sport is a tool of women’s empowerment, with proven links to success in academic studies and business, the drop-out rate must be tackled decisively.
“The pay gap in professional sport is a highly visible sign of inequality – Forbes Magazine’s list of the 50 highest paid athletes in the world still does not include a single woman. But UNESCO’s Game Plan underscores that the lack of women’s leadership at all levels of sport is a structural problem even more in need of urgent remedy: last year only 30% of the world’s largest sports federations were chaired by women. The excellent gender equality indicators of the Paris 2024 Games could be an accelerator for the appointment of women to sports leadership roles,” the organization said.
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