Fighting for the obvious.

International Action Against Gender Apartheid in the Olympic Games – International Mission in Ancient Olympia during the Lighting of the Olympic Flame, with the Participation and Cooperation of the Cross-Party Political Women’s Association.

International human rights standards unequivocally declare the principle of equality between women and men. However, in practice, women’s rights are often violated, depending on cultures and religions, as if the concept of universality does not apply to them.

In the specific case of sports, there are deviations from the application of regulations based on the principles of non-discrimination and neutrality, following interventions and intense pressure, particularly from Iran and some international sports networks. Under the guise of inclusion of women who wish to reconcile their faith with sports activity, these deviations consist of accepting the restrictions imposed by Islamic theories regarding women’s sports participation: fully covered bodies, in accordance with Islamic law.

Gender Apartheid

During the 1950s and 1960s, the oil crisis skyrocketed Saudi Arabia’s oil revenues and strengthened the power of the state. At the same time, Islam was revived. This development had a dramatic impact on women’s traditional roles and social status (escort by men, restrictions on outdoor activities, spread of polygamy, etc.).

The separation of women and men in the public sphere became the norm in many aspects of women’s lives, particularly concerning dress, as the entire female body is seen as sexual. Even certain public spaces are prohibited to women. Educational and workplace codes enforce such separations.

Sexual Apartheid

After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the dress code and behavior, as well as the duties and rights of women and men, and their relations, were strictly defined by laws. To this day, women are required to follow the Islamic dress code, wearing the Hijab, or at least long dresses and headscarves in public spaces.

Iranian women are required to cover their heads and bodies in front of men in public spaces, in accordance with governmental, legal, and religious regulations. Physical education for women in schools and universities, at all levels, should be conducted by female coaches and instructors: mixed environments are not acceptable according to our Islamic codes of ethics and order. (Chebabi 2003:286). Women’s sports events in the presence of men were stopped.

2019, the “crime” of SaharKhodayari

On September 9, 2019, young Iranian football fan Sahar Khodayari, known as BlueGirl, died in the hospital after setting herself on fire outside a Tehran court. She had learned that she was going to be sentenced to two years in prison for “appearing in public without hijab” after entering the Azadi Stadium dressed as a man, violating the ban on women’s access to sports stadiums (a male-only zone).

For all the above reasons, the Political Women’s Association undertakes international action, in collaboration with the French Association for the International Rights of Women, to protest and call for the elimination of gender apartheid in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At the same time, it sends a message of struggle and solidarity to the women of Iran and Saudi Arabia who are legally excluded from the Olympics.

A twenty-member international team of women will attend the lighting of the Olympic Flame in Ancient Olympia and will deliver a resolution against gender apartheid in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Ms. Anna Karamanou, who initially (1992) took the initiative for the unity and institutionalization of cross-party collaboration among women, emphasized in an interview with *Patris* newspaper on the issue:
“The case of the Political Women’s Association (PWA) is an excellent example of a pluralistic feminist organization, which bases its actions on building broader consensuses in public life—something that is not characteristic of our male-dominated political system. The PWA reveals and seeks methods to eliminate the historical devaluation of women, social injustice, and the asymmetry in the political and socio-economic status of men and women. It highlights an alternative model of political power, utilizing all human resources, offering equal opportunities, promoting meritocracy everywhere, establishing a strong welfare state, and ensuring genuine democratic governance. The great challenge remains: the pursuit of an open and representative democracy where the male ‘ownership’ of positions and powers will no longer be considered the model for exercising authority. The PWA uncovers and simultaneously deconstructs the undemocratic, patriarchal foundation of the political and union systems, pointing the way to modernization, true equality, and genuine democracy.”

In this context, the international action for the elimination of apartheid and discrimination against women in sports is also included.

In the right direction

Important decisions were made by the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee, which met on March 3-4, 2020, at its headquarters in Lausanne.

In a statement regarding the situation with the coronavirus, the IOC emphasized that preparations for “Tokyo 2020” continue as scheduled and urged athletes to keep working hard for their qualification and participation in the Olympic Games.

“We are fully committed to the successful organization of the Olympic Games from July 24 to August 9,” emphasized the IOC, which added that a joint task force had been established in February to monitor developments regarding the coronavirus. The task force includes the IOC, the organizing committee of the Games, the city of Tokyo, the Japanese government, and the World Health Organization.

Regarding the upcoming Olympic Games, the IOC announced two significant decisions aimed at promoting gender equality. Specifically, at the opening ceremony on July 24, each National Olympic Committee will have the right to designate two flag bearers, one male and one female, who will carry their country’s flag together. Furthermore, it was decided that all 206 teams, including the Refugee Team, must participate with individuals of both genders.