The president of the CSD closes the International Conference on Gender Equality in Sports
MADRID, 15 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), Víctor Francos, asserted this Wednesday that “as long as there is a progressive Government, Spain will be an ally in gender policies”, also calling “for the fight against those who do not They want there to be real equality” between men and women.
“A world in which women and men are equal is a better world, by definition,” said Francos during the closing of the International Conference on Gender Equality in Sports. Within the framework of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), this event took place at the Costume Museum in Madrid.
In addition, Franco pointed out the need to commit to gender policies in sports and called “for the fight against those who do not want real equality to exist” between men and women. He then recalled the measures that the Government of Spain has implemented in recent years to combat this scourge.
“Not only have we made a Sports Law that fights against discrimination against women, but we are going to enforce it,” he said. “As long as there is a progressive Government, Spain will be an ally in gender policies,” reiterated the president of the CSD before emphasizing that “gender equality has been placed at the center of the debate” during the presidency of the Council of the EU.
“Thanks to that, today we have a unanimous declaration from all member countries. There are things that are worth it. What we have done these days is worth it,” Francos concluded about a conference that has brought together more than 200 people in each one of his two days.
IBERO AMERICA, REFERENCE FOR THE SECOND DAY
This Wednesday’s program began with a first presentation under the title ‘Public policies from a global perspective: problems and solutions in Ibero-America’. Astrid Rodríguez, Minister of Sports of Colombia and president of the Ibero-American Sports Network, intervened there, along with Andrea Navea, executive secretary of CONSUDE and member of the Organizing Committee of the Pan American Games in Chile.
Also participating were the general coordinator of the ‘Sports for Hope’ program of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Bárbara Schweizer; the director of the Permanent Seminar on Women and Sports and director of the Technical Commission of the Ibero-American Women and Sports Network, Elida Alfaro; and the coordinator for Latin America of the global ‘Sports for development’ program of the German Society for International Cooperation, María José Muñoz.
During this panel, the experts recounted actions they carry out on the singling out of sport in different communities, as well as the fight against harassment and abuse, the promotion of health and education to end discrimination, the commitment to female leadership and the defense of equality in diversity.
The morning continued with the meeting ‘Equality Policies in International Organizations. Next Steps’, including an interview with Carole Oglesby, Director Emeritus of Women’s Sport International; was carried out by Lucía Santiago, press officer of the CSD.
According to Oglesby, in the evolution of sports gender equality there are two types of progress: “One incremental, gradual, in which we have been quite successful; and another related to transformative changes, to the fabrics of sport. If it increases, the equality will come.”
Afterwards there was a forum moderated by the head of Policies for Gender Equality in Sports of the European Commission, Violeta Birzniece. The research director of the World Observatory for Gender Equality and Sports, Lombe Mwamba, participated in it; Council of Europe EPAS Deputy Executive Secretary Francine Raveney; and FIFA Senior Manager of International Relations and Public Affairs, Annaliza Tsakona.
They addressed the underrepresentation of women in management bodies, agreeing that “there is much left to do.” They considered the media presence of women’s sports to be relevant and therefore highlighted that its increase is essential. “We need more. More money, more media coverage, more representation… and nothing is impossible,” Birzniece herself asserted.
Before the closing by the president of the CSD, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport, Iliana Ivanova, also spoke via video, highlighting the initiatives that are being adopted within the EU.
“Many advances have been made in media coverage, in equal pay and in the fight against discrimination, but we have much to do. Through everyone’s efforts, the true way to build an equal European Union will come,” said Ivanova.