Gender stereotypes play an important role in the field of sports. Traditional perceptions of femininity and masculinity lead to frequent occurrences of gender-based violence, and also limit access to participation in sports activities, undermining the equality of women and men in sports. Contemporary good practices for improving equality between women and men in sport and preventing/combatting gender-based violence require simultaneous work at different levels in sports organizations. Managers of sports clubs, as well as coaches and other sports personnel, must implement policies for equality, respect for human rights, and prevention of violence in all areas of work and development of the club listed below.

Good practice and actions:

– In the management of the sports club, equality between the sexes and the equal treatment of women and men in sports should be set as a norm and established in the management policies of the sports club. The management of the club should strive to maintain a balance between women and men, while the sports club itself should demonstrate active implementation of the principle of equality between women and men in the training program.

How this will be achieved:

– Existence of a fair and transparent process for recruiting, selecting and introducing coaches to mechanisms to isolate the influence of prejudice against characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, etc.

– Educating coaches and key decision makers about gender equality, diversity, inclusion and leadership ensures the application of the principles of respect for human rights, promotion of equality and prevention of discrimination and violence within organizational culture, programs and practices

– A safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for women coaches so that women can reap the benefits of sports leadership and sports can reap the benefits of diverse leadership

– Programs that are designed, implemented and funded with gender equity in mind help ensure equal opportunities for women to progress in sport, both as coaches and as competitors/athletes

Finally and most importantly, a fair and equitable distribution of funds and resources as evidence of the sports club’s commitment to promoting gender equality in both competitive activity and coaching.