While discrimination of women in Polish sports is common knowledge, it is not sufficiently acted upon. Symptoms include insufficient female representation in sports organisations’ authorities and less intense sports activities undertaken by women themselves. There are only 2 women in the 17-member board of the Polish Olympic Committee; only 4 in the 60-member board representing Polish sports unions and associations; and none in the Polish Football Association authorities, albeit women’s teams are the Association’s member organisations. A similar problem affects non-governmental organisations active in promoting “sport for everyone” (grassroot sport).
The project purpose was to design and implement mechanisms of preventing gender-based discrimination in sports organisations, to intensify women’s sports activities.
As a result, 10 sports organisations drafted gender-sensitive development strategies.
The project involved comparative research of formal and informal discrimination practices in Polish and Icelandic grassroot sport organisations. The study revealed good Icelandic practices as well as barriers to women joining organisations – and became a basis for the drafting and dissemination of recommendations for Polish grassroot sports organisations. A 5-day training course (including i.a. gender equality policies) was held for 30 representatives of sports organisations. The next step involved the drafting of development strategies with an equality component for 10 non-governmental sports organisations. Strategies were designed under the supervision of experienced mentors. An online course was drafted, to be made available to anyone concerned once the project closes.
The partner organisation was responsible for handling the Icelandic part of the research, and sharing good practices in the area of making women part of the sports’ world.
Project beneficiaries included 10 organisations supported by expert assistance, and 30 training course participants.