Women are in the spotlight at Paris 2024. It is no coincidence that on the third day of the Games, the IOC chose gender equality as theme for its daily press conference with the Organising Committee. This year, in the French capital, gender parity has been achieved for the first time, highlighting a priority of Thomas Bach’s tenure.
Commitment to Equality
There is equality in terms of events, medals awarded, athletes and sessions. It is evident on the ground, though with some exceptions. IOC Director of Corporate and Sustainable Development, Marie Sallois, revealed the figures: there is full parity in 28 of the 32 sports on the Paris 2024 programme. Football is one of the few sports not to have achieved it yet, with 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams. The IOC notes that this decision is up to FIFA.
Breaking with traditions
For greater equality, the IOC and the international federations have innovated by scheduling several women’s finals, notably in basketball and volleyball, after the men’s finals. This trend, which began at the Tokyo 2020 Games, will be stepped up this year. Yannis Exarchos, Managing Director of OBS, proudly pointed out that the last athletics event, the marathon, will be run by women on Sunday 11 August, a after the men’s event.
Notable progress
One notable achievement announced by the IOC on 28 July was that 96% of the delegations at the Opening Ceremony were led by two flag bearers, one man and one woman. In addition, five international federations (tennis, triathlon, canoeing, sailing and hockey) achieved parity among their technical officials.
Changing Media
Historically, women’s sport has been under-represented on television. A 2018 survey showed that women’s sport accounted for less than 10% of global airtime. For Paris 2024, OBS has taken steps to give a feminine touch to its camera crew, with 25 women trained and working on the Games. In addition, two thirds of the venue managers chosen by OBS are women, and the company is moving towards parity with 53% men and 47% women.
Extensive media coverage
OBS has reminded its broadcasters of the importance of treating women’s events with the same approach as men’s, focusing on the athletes’ performances rather than their looks. NBC, for example, has promised to cover women’s events with as much attention as men’s, offering parity on screens.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games highlight the commitment to gender equality, not only on the field but also in media coverage and opportunities for women in sport.
