0
0
UN Women Australia says the Paris Olympics will be the first modern games to see an equal number of men and women competing – an achievement they believe represents a new era for women in sport.
This 50:50 representation of athletes makes the Summer Games the first to reach gender parity.
Progress does not stop there. With an expected global audience of 3 billion, this year’s Games will feature equal prime time coverage of all events, putting all athletes in the spotlight. The Games will also feature more women’s and mixed events, offering more opportunities for women to win medals.
According to UN Women, the world of women’s sports is undergoing a game-changing transformation, capturing unprecedented attention and recognition.
Achiement of gender equity at the Paris Olympics is a milestone that’s testament to the relentless efforts and remarkable achievements of women athletes who are breaking records, shattering stereotypes, and inspiring future generations.
Sport is a great enabler to teach girls the skills they need to advance in life. Girls who play sports develop self-esteem, confidence, resilience, and learn to work in teams. They tend to stay in school longer, delay pregnancy, and get better jobs.
Despite the evidence of the clear benefits, by the age of 14 girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys due to several factors, such as social expectations, lack of investment in quality programmes, and more.
Women’s sports are currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in attention, attracting both dedicated fans and investors.
Approximately 35 female commentators have been hired by the Olympic Broadcasting Services for Paris 2024, raising the percentage of female commentators to nearly 40 per cent—a nearly 80 per cent increase compared to Tokyo 2020 and over 200 per cent from Rio 2016.
Women’s sports media coverage has tripled since 2019 after remaining stagnant for three decades at just 5 per cent to 16 per cent in 2022. If coverage trends continue at the current rate of growth, women’s share of coverage could reach 20 per cent by 2025.
Australia, Norway, New Zealand, and Brazil are among a growing list of national football federations that have committed to equal pay for men’s and women’s national teams. In 2022, the US Women’s National Soccer Team secured a landmark equal pay settlement after a years-long legal battle that secured an equal pay rate in all games, including the World Cup, going forward. The settlement also included USD 22 million to compensate players for past discrimination.
In 2023 the Women’s World Cup awarded $150 million in prize money, a 300 per cent increase over 2019, but still only about a third of the $440m the men got in Qatar 2022.
The World Surf League (WSL) announced in 2018 that it would award equal prize money to male and female athletes for every WSL-controlled event in the 2019 season and beyond.
Women and girls experience violence across sport settings and environments and in various roles, including as athletes, coaches, reporters, therapists, referees, and fans.
While efforts to track such cases are increasing worldwide, there are data gaps regarding the magnitude and prevalence of violence in sports. Nevertheless, available research, anecdotal evidence and accounts of real-life experiences highlight that women and girls from all cultures face violence in sport settings, ranging from harassment to sexual assault.
When the Spanish Women’s National Team claimed their trophy after winning the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and one player endured an unwanted kiss from the President of the national football federation that official was suspended for three years by FIFA. The moment set off a movement in support of the women’s team and raised global awareness of the prevalence of such abuse in women’s sports. The case against the perpetrator is still being litigated in Spain. Abuses that players had complained about for years were never taken seriously until they were on display for the world to see.
UN Women is encouraging all sports fans to mark the achievement of 50:50 gender equity during the Paris Olympic games by using the hash tag #change the game.
