Presented by Sara Rossomonte and Olimpia Guidi
Online violence, such as cyberbullying and harassment on social media, compounds these challenges, impacting mental health and well-being. viii
Violence against women in sport settings breaches several human rights of women. Under the Convention on the Elimination Of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, women have the right to protection of health and safety in working conditions xii, together with the commitment of the State to take all appropriate measures to ensure the elimination of discrimination of women by any person, organization or enterprise. xiii
Despite significant progress in encouraging girls and women to participate in sports, the sports landscape continues to be predominantly male-dominated, especially in leadership roles. This prevailing culture, along with a lack of transparency and a prioritization of the integrity and profitability of sports over individual well-being, has created an environment conducive to violence against women and girls. xvi
Women and individuals facing additional forms of disadvantage, such as racial or ethnic background, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or socioeconomic status, are at particularly heightened risk of abuse. Violence against women and girls in sports stems from various factors, including power imbalances, the endorsement of abusive methods under a “no pain, no gain” philosophy, the normalization of damaging gender stereotypes, the pervasive male-dominated culture within the sports industry, and inadequate governance of sporting institutions that allows power dynamics to solidify. xxvi
32A-Call-for-Inputs-to-the-Report_of_the_Special_Rapporteur_on_Violence_Against_Women_and_Girls_in_SportPhoto by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash
References
1 Kavanagh, E., Litchfield, C., & Osborne, J. (2019). Sporting women and social media: Sexualization, misogyny, and gender-based violence in online spaces. International Journal of Sport Communication, 12(4), 552-572. Available at:https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsc/12/4/article-p552.xml
12 CEDAW, Article 11 (f).
13 CEDAW, Article 2 (e).
16 UNESCO & UN Women, (2023), Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport- A Handbook for Policy Makers and Sports Practitioners, 11-12. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/3343_unwomen_unesco_vawg_handbook_6a_singlepage.pdf.
21 UNESCO & UN Women, (2023), Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport- A Handbook for Policy Makers and Sports Practitioners, 35. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/3343_unwomen_unesco_vawg_handbook_6a_sing