Description
The project focuses on surveying the formal and informal discriminatory practices towards women in Polish sports organisations dealing with popular sports. It aims at developing gender anti-discrimination policy, preparing a handbook for implementation of the policy, and pilot implementing of the policy in 6 organisations, using experiences of Icelandic partner organisation in this field.
Summary of project results
"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."
Summary of bilateral results
"The level of physical activity among girls and women in Iceland, especially starting from a certain age (youth) is higher than in Poland. Project Partners have come to a conclusion that one of the most important reasons behind this, is the much smaller numer of girls and women in Poland, that have their say as to what kind of physical activity offer they would expect, that would meet their needs and expectations. As physical inactivity of Poles is the main area of interest for V4SPORT, it was very beneficial for organisation(s) (including polish Partner – LZS) to work with a Partner from Iceland that has very different experience and perspective on the subject . This helped to understand, identify and create better ideas that would aim at increasing the numer of female participation in sport and physical activity. The study/reasearch reports that have been produced in Poland and another one in Iceland, have enabled the organisers to prepare another document titled – Recommendations – which is a guidebook/manual for sport organisations on how to work better with girls and women and on the other hand, it is that particular document in which girls and women can learn more about on how they could be involved. As a result of this, at a last stage of the project, a social campaign has been created, that will be further developed. "