EWS Committee continues its work focusing on LBTQI+ women in sport in 2023
On February 16th and 17th, Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee working group met in Vienna, Austria, to prepare the plan for implementation of the 2023 activities.
In 2022, the EWS committee actively contributed to the implementation of ENGSO’s first Equality Action Plan which aimed at raising awareness about the discriminations encountered by the LGBTQI+ community when accessing and participating in sport and physical activities, increasing knowledge on the participation and experiences of LGBTQI+ people in grassroot sports and empowering umbrella sport organisations to become more inclusive while developing a network of experts. These efforts will continue in 2023.
The results of the research commissioned by the EWS Committee clearly showed a lack of data on the participation of LBTQI+ women in sport in Europe. Another research will be conducted in 2023 on the status of equality within sport to deepen the knowledge acquired on LGBTQI+ athletes and coaches while focusing on the intersectionality aspect of the LGBTQI+ community in Europe.
Moreover, the #StandUp4Equality communication campaign will give voice to women role models and highlight key facts and figures, while a series of webinars and workshops will discuss the barriers to participation of discriminated groups such as LGBTQI+ people and the existing/possible inclusion policies in grassroot sport. The first webinar will be held on February 23rd (registration here).
During their working meeting in Vienna, Austria, the EWS committee members had the great honor to be welcomed by the team of 100% Sport, Austrian Center of Excellence for Gender Equality and SAFE SPORT, getting to know more about their responsibilities and initiatives in Austria. Visit their website at https://100prozent-sport.at.
EWS Chair Sallie Barker (5th from the left), with 100% Sport President Christa Prets (6th), Vice-President Rudolf Sporrer (1st), and CEO Claudia Koller (3rd), together with EWS members Liam Strasser (right) and Sarah Townsend, EGLSF co-President (center), as well as Floriane Poncet, ENGSO Project and Equality Officer (2nd from the left).
The European Paralympic Committee hosted a dinner and the meeting on February 17th, which was the occasion to discuss possible coordinated actions to promote women with disabilities in sport.
EWS Chair Sallie Barker (center) with EPC Head of Office Saskia Kanfer (1st from the left), together with EWS committee members Liam Strasser (right) and Sarah Townsend, EGLSF co-President (4th from the left), as well as Floriane Poncet, ENGSO Project and Equality Officer (2nd).