Lausanne welcomes the Annual Conference of the Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport This Tuesday. An intense day, punctuated by seven sessions. A wide variety of expertise will be brought together to explore the topic and guide stakeholders in the next steps on the path to equality. A theme that resonates directly with the Olympic Movement, which widely celebrated parity between male and female athletes at Paris 2024. Presentation of this conference with Lombe Mwambwa, Executive Director of the Observatory.
The conference is returning for the second year in this format. So, did the 2024 edition meet all your expectations?
Yes! This facilitates the involvement of stakeholders—members of governments, UN agencies and international organizations, people from the world of sport, experts, researchers, etc. The event encompasses a series of institutional meetings of the Global Observatory (GO), conferences open to the public, and meetings dedicated to experts and academics. This offers many opportunities to connect and build relationships. The format is all the more effective because everything is brought together at the same time and in the same place. We take into account the schedule: the Play the Game conference is scheduled five days after ours. (from October 5 to 8, in Tampere, Finland, editor’s note), so people who come from another continent can more easily participate in both. Some people come from Oceania, the Pacific, Africa, America, which makes this organization even more efficient and coherent.
What is the objective of the conference?
Our goal is to highlight the progress made in terms of equality in sport, demonstrate the progress made, and draw attention to issues that require more action. This conference also facilitates the connection of expertise: specialists in different issues related to gender equality and sport can interact, exchange ideas, and cooperate. We also want to contribute to raising public awareness and reminding the public of the importance of gender equality by presenting what is evolving, the areas where gaps persist, as well as the opportunities that present themselves to continue positive progress.
The conference will ask questions such as "Who is responsible for preventing and combating gender-based violence?" The answer may not be simple, but it is essential to ask these questions.
It's important, yes. It's the GO's role to highlight these issues. This concerns the people who put initiatives into practice, but also the researchers who can conduct studies, collect data, as well as policymakers, to understand what is being put in place, what policies can be applied... The idea is to focus on the commitment of the actors, show what they have accomplished, what is expected of them, what remains to be done, etc. Thanks to a conference like this, the exchange and connection of expertise allows you to find who can help you and who can support you in your work.
Is there a session you're looking forward to more than the others?
I see the program as a whole, but I'm most interested in the final panel, the one that looks to the future. I'm looking forward to hearing from the experts and delegates about what's on the horizon, the next steps for gender equality, and sport. Each speaker will offer perspectives on what needs to be done, at different levels, to ensure a safe and inclusive future.
Are there any recent initiatives that have made a personal impression on you and that will be highlighted at the Conference?
We will highlight the work of the Global Observatory to build a network of experts working on gender equality, so that the sport community and policymakers know who to work with. We are developing a directory with the experts involved by region where they are based; it is a valuable tool. We will also highlight our achievements in international mapping: we have collected data on policies implemented in certain countries that could contribute to gender equality in the field of sport and physical activity. We look forward to sharing all of this with the delegates.
We will present a timeline since the 1890s, highlighting all the efforts made and how they have contributed to getting us to where we are today. We want to show that actions must be linked together over time, that we must look back to see what has been done so far and be able to do more. We also need to link national policies with what is happening at the federation level. Our mission is really to provide knowledge, centralize expertise, and build connections between different actors.
For the first time, the conference is being held with a woman at the head of the Olympic Movement. Is this a powerful symbol?
This is a turning point because it helps break down stereotypes and sweep away the idea that it's not possible. It's a step towards getting people to take action, and that's very important: members of the Olympic Movement, international sports federations, Olympic committees, and organizations connected to this Movement can see the IOC's tangible leadership on this issue. The IOC isn't just giving directives; it's demonstrating that there's movement in the right direction, a dynamic. Kirsty Coventry's election is also a real plus in terms of geographical diversity: it's not just Europe and North America; leaders can emerge from Africa, Asia, South America, or elsewhere. This will push the federations to work in this direction.
Seeing the parity between athletes at Paris 2024, and LA28's promise to award more quotas for women than for men, do you feel that the message of equality is gaining more and more traction?
Having numerical parity among competing athletes is progress that must be built upon. Any progress that constitutes progress must be applauded; it proves that it is possible, that it is a matter of leadership, commitment, and planning. In Paris, there was an intention, a plan, a commitment, and an investment. They made parity a crucial element of the event's success. This must become the norm; it must not be a one-off initiative.
