With new members, research, events and campaign, EWS Committee strengthens its efforts to improve equality in sport
A lot of exciting things are happening within the EWS (Equality Within Sport) committee. Their actions continue to align with the objectives of advocating for gender equality, building capacity, raising awareness, and increasing cooperation with key European organisations.
New Members to the Committee
On May 13, 2024, the ENGSO Executive Committee appointed new members to the ENGSO EWS Committee for the 2024-2025 mandate. Under the leadership of Tarja Krum, the new Chair of EWS, the newly appointed members will continue the work on equality and oversee the implementation of the Sport and Equality action plan.
The newly appointed members for the 2024-2025 mandate are:
Tarja Krum
Sarah Townsend
Alessia de Iulis
Rejhan Halili
Ivana Samija
Andreas Katsaros
Research on Policies’ Impact on Sport in Europe
The committee is currently conducting research to measure the impact of policies on sport in Europe. ENGSO’s new data collection initiative, “Sport and Equality”, aims to monitor the national impact of recent policy documents on gender equality and diversity in sport. This study, in collaboration with the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and the Global Observatory on Gender Equality, targets authorities, sport organisations, and grassroots entities, exploring key dimensions such as participation, coaching, leadership, and media coverage. The research is a complement to the CoE and the EU joint project “All In Plus”.
The questionnaire will be open until the end of September and the results will be published on the ENGSO website in December 2024.
Conference on Gender Equality in Sports in Europe
At the beginning of 2025, a significant conference on gender equality in sports in Europe will be held by ENGSO, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss progress, challenges, and future actions in promoting gender equality in the sporting world. ENGSO, together with a member organisation/partner, will host its first Conference on Gender Equality in Sport in Europe, which will initiate a new tradition of a European event that will support the International Conferences of the “International Working Group on Women and Sport” (IWG).
The first conference will take place in early 2025, will be one to two days long and feature inspiring plenary and parallel sessions focusing on intersectional approaches to equality policies, specifically targeting the implementation and monitoring of equality strategies, women of the LGBTQI+ community, and women with disabilities. The event aims to attract participants from across the European sport movement, including ENGSO members, government representatives, and other stakeholders.
The conference will set the stage for future events aimed at promoting gender equality in sport across Europe and globally, encouraging participants to sign the Brighton plus Helsinki declaration. Stay tuned for more information!
Strengthening Gender Equality in European Sports
ENGSO EWS committee is continuing the cooperation with leading organisations to strengthen the work on gender equality in European sports. The European Summit on Gender Equality and Diversity in Sport was held in Brussels on 18 April 2024, organised by ENGSO member Opes International and co-funded by the European Commission. The event aimed to coordinate European efforts in gender equality and diversity in sport, focusing on implementing EU strategies on LGBTQI+ and gender equality. ENGSO was represented by EWS Chair Sallie Barker and Secretary General Sara Massini.
Participants discussed improving equality and diversity in sport, creating a shared plan, and coordinating efforts for 2024, with a calendar of events to be accessible on ENGSO’s website. In 2024, data on gender equality in sport will be collected, and a survey will assess the impact of relevant publications and strategies. The survey, conducted with the European Commission and Council of Europe EPAS, will be available online. The research results will be presented at the end of 2024 and will inform the next European Summit on Gender Equality and Diversity in Sport in 2025.
The summit gathered all major European sport stakeholders committed to improving equality in sport: the Sport Unit of the European Commission, Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the EOC’s EU Office, Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport, European University Sports Association (EUSA), European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) and IWG Women in Sport.
Building capacity and providing platforms for knowledge sharing on gender equality
One essential part of the committees work is building capacity of ENGSO members and their networks and providing platforms for knowledge sharing on gender equality through the organisation of workshops and/or webinars.
Did you miss the latest webinar?
Watch it here.
Promoting Equality: The Active Role of EWS
The EWS (ENGSO Equality Within Sports) Committee is actively engaged in promoting gender equality and raising awareness through its extensive participation in conferences and events across Europe.
Engso and EWS has made its presence felt at several significant events, both as presenters and participants. These engagements have allowed EWS to share its insights and collaborate with other key stakeholders. Some of the latest events attended include:
- EPAS Breakfast Roundtable on Sport Officiating and Gender Equality (Strasbourg)
- GAMES Project Final Conference (Brussels)
- UNESCO Policy Roundtable: “Towards a Safer Playing Field – Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport” (Paris)
- EU Sport Forum (Brussels)
- Dutch Embassy Panel Discussion “Being an LGBTI+ Professional Athlete in France, the Netherlands, and Europe” (Paris)
- 20th European Conference for the Sociology of Sport (Brussels)
- LGBTQIA+ and Sports – Past, Present, Future (Helsinki)
Communication Campaign on LQBTIQA+ Youth, Well-being and Sport
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.
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.