International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has reaffirmed her commitment to promoting gender equality in sport, urging the global sporting community to continue creating greater opportunities for women and girls.
Speaking at the IWG Global Summit on Women and Sport in Birmingham, Coventry highlighted the transformative impact sport can have on women’s lives, saying it builds confidence, promotes health and wellbeing, develops leadership skills, fosters inclusion and empowers individuals to shape their own futures.
Drawing on her own experiences growing up in Zimbabwe, the former Olympic champion said sport had given her purpose and taught her valuable lessons about resilience, hard work and overcoming setbacks.
Progress across the Olympic Movement
Coventry acknowledged the significant progress made towards gender equality within the Olympic Movement, pointing to Paris 2024, where full gender parity among athletes was achieved for the first time.
She also noted that the 2030 Winter Olympic Games in the French Alps will become the first Winter Games to feature equal participation between men and women.
Earlier this week, the IOC confirmed that of the 3,046 athlete quota places available for the Games, 1,525 have been allocated to women and 1,521 to men. The programme will include 126 medal events, comprising 56 women’s events, 55 men’s events and 15 mixed competitions.
Beyond competition, Coventry highlighted increasing female representation within the IOC itself, with women now accounting for more than 43 per cent of its membership.
She also revealed that more than 1.5 million people have participated in IOC-supported community sport programmes since 2022, with women and girls making up half of all participants.
More work still required
While welcoming these achievements, Coventry stressed that gender equality remains an ongoing challenge.
She said greater visibility for women in sport helps inspire future generations, encouraging girls to believe they too can compete at the highest level and pursue careers in coaching, officiating and sports leadership.
However, she emphasised that further progress is needed, calling for more women to occupy coaching positions, technical roles, team leadership posts and decision-making positions within sporting organisations.
She also underlined the importance of ensuring that women and girls can participate in sport safely, regardless of their background or where they live.
Creating lasting change
Coventry said meaningful progress will require cooperation across the sporting landscape, with organisations setting measurable objectives and investing in programmes that support female participation and leadership.
She highlighted several IOC initiatives aimed at increasing the number of women in coaching, including research conducted through the Olympic Studies Centre that has led to guidelines on recruiting and retaining female coaches.
She also referenced the IOC’s flagship WISH programme, a 21-month leadership initiative designed to equip elite female coaches with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed at the highest levels of international sport.
The IOC President concluded by calling for greater visibility and respect for women’s sport beyond major international events, while urging stronger collaboration between governments, schools, sporting organisations, communities, civil society and the private sector.
According to Coventry, lasting progress will depend on collective action, with sport continuing to serve as a powerful platform for opening doors, creating opportunities and driving positive social change.
