Women and Sports
Full Minutes of the Meetings
SESSION OF WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2003
Women and sports
Karamanou (PSE). – Madam President, I would first like to thank and warmly congratulate Mrs. Fraisse for taking the initiative to mobilize and raise awareness in the European Parliament, as well as among all relevant authorities, on the very serious issue of the relationship between women and sports.
This report is of particular significance and value in light of the 2004 Olympic Games, and we hope that the proposals it contains will be taken very seriously by the Athens 2004 organizing committee. However, I would also like to warmly congratulate the Commissioner, who responded promptly and positively to the recommendations in the report. Indeed, Madam Commissioner, sport can be a very dynamic tool for combating discrimination against women and, in particular, for addressing the underrepresentation of women! I believe that, in this direction, measures should be taken to increase the number of women in leadership positions at all levels of sporting activities, to support the personal and professional development of women in the fields of athletics, organization, and sports management, as well as at all levels of coaching and organizing sports events.
Mechanisms should be created to ensure that young women have a say in the development of policies and programs that concern them. The media should be encouraged to reflect positively and to adequately cover the scope, depth, quality, and benefits of the involvement of women and girls in sports. Finally, the achievement of gender equality standards set by the International Olympic Committee in 1998 should be supported, and the provisions of the Thessaloniki Declaration, which marked the conclusion of a major international conference held during the Greek Presidency, should be put into practice.
Mechanisms should be created to ensure that young women have a say in the development of policies and programs that concern them. The media should be encouraged to reflect positively and to adequately cover the scope, depth, quality, and benefits of the involvement of women and girls in sports. Finally, the achievement of gender equality standards set by the International Olympic Committee in 1998 should be supported, and the provisions of the Thessaloniki Declaration, which marked the conclusion of a major international conference held during the Greek Presidency, should be put into practice.