Promote gender equality in sport
with Gap Women project

To link in with International Women’s Rights Day on March 8^th, the European Gap Women project, in which Sport and Citizenship is a partner, unveiled an awareness-raising campaign to promote women’s participation in sport. Joint interview with Milena de Murga, director of the social and international projects department of the Sports Federation Union of Catalonia (UFEC), leader of the project and Alla Krinitsyna, Project manager of the social department.

1 – “Despite the progress made so far, women still participate much less in sport and physical activity than men, largely due to sociocultural barriers ^[1] ” emphasises the Council of the EU.

“The gender gap in sport is a multifaceted problem involving disparities in opportunities, resources, representation and recognition between male and female athletes. By addressing this gap with the Gap Women project, we contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable environment in which all individuals have the opportunity to pursue their sporting aspirations regardless of their gender. Promoting gender equality in sport is not only a matter of fairness, but also a recognition of the talent, dedication and contribution of women athletes, who have historically faced barriers and discrimination.” Milena

2 – Can you describe the project?

“GAP WOMEN seeks to promote gender equality in federated sport specifically and in sport in general through different actions and programmes aimed at both athletes and people related to the sports field, such as coaches, managers and technical staff.” Milena

“This project allows a greater number of women in this field to be heard and to be visible, to express their stories and to inspire other women. Storytelling and personal experiences are a source of education and inspiration.” Alla

Since 2022, 10 partners have been working on this project: the Sports Federation Union of Catalonia (UFEC), Sport and Citzenship, the International council of sport science and physical education (ICSSPE), Maiêutica cooperativa de ensino superior, La Calle Es Tuya, ASD Margherita Sports e Vita (MSV), International sport and culture association (ISCA), the European non-governmental sports organisation (ENGSO), the Catalan Federation of Underwater Activities (FECDAS) and the European table tennis union (ETTU). Sport and Citizenship has been working for several years on gender equality in sport, and works alongside ENGSO on the project’s overall communication.

“The GAP WOMEN project stems from the commitment of the entire consortium to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in sport and therefore in society as a whole.” Milena

3 – On March 8th is the International Women’s Rights Day

“March 8^th is an important date for the GAP WOMEN Project. This day commemorates the historical struggle of women for equal rights, justice and for the participation in society. Its provides a platform to highlight the fundamental role of women in sport, both as athletes and in leadership, coaching, management and leadership roles. Less than 10 percent of Catalan sports federations have women as presidents.” Milena

“For the Project, March 8^th represents a key opportunity to promote women’s participation in sport. It is an occasion to reflect on the challenges faced by women in sport, as well as to celebrate the achievements made in the fight for equal opportunities and rights in this field.” Alla

4 – What events and activities are organised around this date?

“During International Women’s Rights Day, the partners of the project organised events, talks, workshops or special activities focused on raising awareness of gender equality in sport and promoting concrete actions to reduce the gender gap in this area. Federations and clubs from various European countries joined this initiative.” Milena

Examples of events organized by the partners as part of the project:

on March 4^th, ENGSO organized the webinar “Every woman is welcome in sport – are they?”. The replay is available at : Re-watch the “Every woman is welcome in sport – are they?” webinar (engso.eu)
on March 8^th, a capsule video was broadcast by ENGSO and several partners on the social networks. Several European sports figures, active or with responsibilities in the field of sport, have used their voices to spread a message about gender equality in sport. To mention a few names:
– Vanina Paoletti, member of the French Olympic kayaking team. In 2020, this athlete won the title of French 200-metre champion,
– Jen Browning, Gold medalist in basketball (2004 Paralympic Games), and International Relations Advisor at UK Sport,
– Mercè Rosich, President of the Catalan Athletics Federation,
– Annika Zeyen, Professional Handbike athlete.
Margherita Sport e Vita (MSV basket-ball) organized in collaboration with PINK Football women:
– On February 28th: a training meeting “Resilience in sport” in Italy. Pictures at Erasmus Sport: #Gapwomen… – Aps Asd Margherita Sport e Vita | Facebook
– On March 9^th: a Regional Football Girls Tournament

5 – Do you have a motto?

“Let’s eliminate gender gap, let’s do sports!” is the slogan of the project’s first video capsule and its represents the key word and the main objective of the Gap Women project.” Alla

To go further:

Sport and Citizenship published a journal (n° 46) on the theme of “gender and sport” available at R31nf (sportetcitoyennete.com).
UFEC developed several activites and documents on this topic:
– a manifesto promoting women in sport and highlighting injustice is published every 8 of March: http://www.ufec.cat/en/ufec-for-equality-for-race-without-obstacles_n2656.html,
– WESE programme, which provides leadership training to female sports managers: https://ufec.cat/academy/ (in Catalan),
– Women’s Sport Festival,
– International Women in Sports Congress (IWISC) to debate the many challenges we face in women’s sport, and to give recognition to emerging role models: https://iwisc.ufec.cat/en/.
the online course of the GAP WOMEN project will be available end of the year with knowledge, tools and strategies to address gender disparities and create more inclusive and equitable sporting environments.