Sport, Equality and inclusive communities
Collaborating with a diverse range of sport and social development organisations, the IOC is strengthening the contribution of sport to improving equality, diversity and inclusion across communities. This includes initiatives that increase opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalised groups to benefit from sport, promote gender equality in and through sport, and support programmes that use sport to challenge discrimination.
Working with our collaborators, we are:
On target for 113,000 people to benefit from participating in community sports programmes advancing gender equality and inclusion by 2025.
On target to train 50 organisations to deliver sport, equality and inclusion programmes by 2025.
Programmes
Gender Equality though Sport Bridging Project
Launched in March 2023, the Gender Equality though Sport Bridging Project is a joint initiative of the IOC and UN Women that uses sport as a tool to advance gender equality and prevent gender-based violence. The project supports community development organisations and policymakers in four countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia Pacific to:
- create new opportunities for women and girls to access safe, inclusive and quality sport and development opportunities
- use a sport-based curriculum to train women and girls as social advocates and to participate in decision-making processes
- engage with the media to raise awareness of how sport can be harnessed to promote gender equality
- support the exchange of learning and good practices on how organisations can design and implement sport-based programmes to promote gender equality.
Sport, Equality and Inclusive Communities Impact Network
Initiated in April 2023 by the IOC, the Oceania Olympic Committee, UN Women and the Australian government’s sport for development programme “Team Up”, the Oceania Sport, Equality and Inclusive Communities Impact Network is a coalition of stakeholders working to ensure more women, girls and communities can access the benefits of sport. The Network works collaboratively to design, strengthen and scale:
- participatory grant making and funding for community-based sport and gender equality;
- training and knowledge exchange to strengthen safeguarding and the prevention of harassment and abuse in and through sport;
- developing gender equality champions and leaders in sport;
- and supporting campaigns focused on reducing gender-based violence in and through sport.
Sport, Equality and Inclusive Communities
Launched in May 2024, the Sport, Equality and Inclusive Communities initiative will see the IOC, Qatar Foundation, Education Above All and a coalition of stakeholders implement community projects in 10 countries across Asia, the Middle and East and North Africa, to promote equality, diversity and inclusion through sport.
The initiative aims to:
- benefit 50,000 young people through community sport programmes promoting gender equality and inclusion;
- train 5,000 coaches, teachers and instructors to promote gender equality through sport;
- launch education-focused digital campaigns reaching thousands of young people to help promote equality and inclusion.
Olympafrica Youth Empowerment through Sport (O!YES) programme
Implemented in 30+ countries across Africa, the O!YES programme, a flagship initiative of the OlympAfrica International Foundation promotes equality and inclusion through community sport-based programmes.
It targets young people from diverse communities and backgrounds. With IOC support, the Foundation is further strengthening its capacity to deliver, monitor and evaluate safe, inclusive and sustainable sport-based programmes that benefited over 1,500 young people through regular sports participation in 2023, and reached over 45,000 people through awareness-raising activities.