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Whenever the Olympics were held in Paris, there has always been a change on a gender equality issue: After only men were permitted to compete when the modern Olympics began in Athens in 1896, at the 1990 Paris games 22 women competed. The first female Olympic winner in history was sailor Helen de Pourtales, although this milestone was widely ignored by the media of the time. The games took place in Paris again 24 years later, and for the first time, female fencers were permitted to compete. This time, there were 135 female athletes out of the 3,000 total active participants. Now, for the third time, Paris will host the Olympic games from 26 July until 11 August 2024.
Dr. Petra Tzschoppe, sport sociologist at Leipzig University, took this opportunity to ask about gender equality issues and whether there are any new developments at the world’s most popular multisport event.
Long run-up to any significant progress
‘It took a long time for any significant progress to be made in terms of women’s equality in the Olympic movement’, stated Tzschoppe. It was not until 1981 that two women were first permitted to join the ‘Lords of the Ring’ in the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their number has grown considerably in the last decade, however, and now 41 per cent of the IOC members are women. The second women’s movement in the 1980s also left its mark – something that could be seen in the growing number of female athletes and more competitions for women. Tzschoppe identified the London Olympic Games in 2012 as marking a milestone. Women’s boxing was included in the programme, meaning that for the first time, every Olympic discipline was open to both men and women.
It was a long road to get there, a road full of struggles, small steps forwards but also setbacks. The founder of the modern games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was an adamant opponent of women’s participation in the Olympics up to the end of his tenure as President of the IOC in 1925. Because he rejected the request to permit women to compete in the Olympic track and field disciplines, in 1921 women organised their own ‘Women’s Olympiad’. The IOC protested the use of the word ‘Olympiad’, and these games were therefore carried out under the name ‘Women’s World Games’ starting in 1922. Their success then led to the IOC allowing women to participate in five track and field competitions at the 1928 Olympic games. However, the women’s 800-metre run was immediately striken from the programme again. Several of the runners fell to the ground, and the functionaries believed they had proof that women’s bodies were too weak for that long of a distance.
Now women run much farther than 800 metres under the Olympic flag. In 2024 in Paris, they will prove their athletic prowess in 152 competitions. For the first time they will also be able to compete in break dancing, which was included in the programme as the first dance discipline. Other mixed competitions have also been added such as shooting and walking with the aim of creating more excitement and arousing emotions at the summer sport highlight. This all means that Paris 2024 might well be the first Olympic Games that achieves gender parity. ‘The numerical parity of female and male athletes is exemplary. This should serve as a benchmark for other areas of the Olympic movement. Even though the IOC has made great progress in the last ten years, there’s still quite a path ahead of us until we achieve true gender parity’, Tzschoppe stated. This also applies to leadership positions in the international sports associations, for example, but also for support staff. In the previous games in Tokyo, Tzschoppe said that only 13 per cent of the coaches were women, and in 2024 Team Germany will not exceed that proportion with its accredited female coaches. In 2022, the IOC started WISH (Women in Sport High Performance Pathway) as an initiative for more female coaches, and initial results are already visible.
‘We still have a long way to go with gender equality in media reporting. That’s why the IOC published updated guidelines for gender-sensitive, respectful and inclusive media representation that also considers non-binary and transgender athletes’, said Tzschoppe. The IOC is also working to ensure more female journalists report on the Olympic Games. Tzschoppe did not think the controversy several months ago surrounding the US female athletes’ skimpy outfits was a major issue: Athletes are not required to wear those particular uniforms. The suppliers offer alternatives so that the athletes can decide on their own what they wear. Most sports associations have done away with sexist clothing regulations, Tzschoppe pointed out.
Changes and Traditions at the 2024 Games
Inclusion and sustainability are two of the key criteria for this year’s Olympic Games. For the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, 95 per cent of the venues used already existed or are only temporary. The opening ceremony will also not take place in a newly built stadium, something that represents a break from the past. Instead, nearly half a million people will be able to experience the opening live as the delegations go through the city on boats on the Seine. More than 200 nations and 36 althetes in the IOC refugee team will take part. Three female and three male athletes from Afghanistan will also be there – they were sent by the Afghan National Olympic Committee, which is recognised by the IOC. Representatives of the Taliban government did not receive accreditation.
Russia and Belarus have also been excluded because of the war in Ukraine. Several individuals are permitted to participate in the competitions as ‘individual neutral athletes’ under strict conditions for admission, although this ruling was quite controversial.
A few days ago, UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis made a strong appeal to all member states to uphold an Olympic truce for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He called on all parties to ongoing armed conflicts around the world to use the opportunity to peacefully settle their disputes. Sport has the potential to promote tolerance, the pursuit of perfection and a more outward-looking perspective, said Tzschoppe. ‘The Olympic Games offer a fantastic opportunity to create a spirit of community and emphasise peaceful encounters. Today’s world is full of serious crises and wars, making this original idea of the Olympics more important than ever.’
Dr. Petra Tzschoppe
Leipzig University
Phone: +49 341 9731637
Email: tzschoppe@uni-leipzig.de
Dr. Petra Tzschoppe
Photo: Christian Hüller
Paris 2024 might well be the first Olympic Games that achieves gender parity.
Photo: Colourbox
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