The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.
Olympics Roundup
+ Paris Olympics first to achieve near-gender parity
The 2024 Paris Olympics will see an almost equal split of male and female athletes. From July 26 July to Aug 11, Paris will host 5630 male and 5416 female competitors.
This near parity fulfills the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Olympic Agenda 2020, aiming for a 50:50 gender balance, and increasing mixed team events—which feature men and women competing together—to about 20 out of 329.
With women making up 49 percent of participants, this milestone highlights strides in gender equality in sports. The IOC’s move comes amid rising popularity in women’s sports and efforts to counter sexist media and support athlete parents.
Still, activists and academics note lingering inequalities, from the scarcity of female coaches to outdated attitudes on women’s athletic uniforms at the games.
+ Women’s representation in leadership and coaching remain low
Women athletes are nearing gender parity on the field, but their representation in leadership and coaching remains low.
The 1996 Olympic Charter committed to promoting women at all levels of sports structures, particularly in executive bodies, to ensure strict gender equality.
However, the Olympic Agenda 2020 did not address parity on the executive board. If it had, the 11th recommendation would be unfulfilled, as the IOC board has 11 men and only 5 women, falling short of true gender balance.
Moreover, at the Tokyo Olympics, only 13 percent of coaches were women. For the Paris Olympics, that figure is estimated to rise to 25 percent—still disappointingly low—according to The Guardian.
“If you look at women in coaching… you’re going to see a small percentage compared to men being in that role because since sports have started, it’s been a men’s play until women have had to start showing we can do great things as coaches and athletes… and we’re starting to see that shift,” Mechelle Lewis Freeman, former Olympian and head women’s relay coach for the USA’s Track and Field Team, told CNN.
+ Women’s bodies remain policed
France’s secular laws prohibit Muslim athletes from wearing hijabs during competition in Paris. This decision has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, who argue that it violates Olympic values and human rights. Athletes affected by this rule have said that they feel it forces them to choose between their faith and their passion for sports.
Human rights organizations are urging the IOC to demand that French sporting authorities lift hijab bans for the Olympics and all levels of sports. They report that these restrictions currently affect at least six different sports.
“The country’s discrimination against women and girls wearing the hijab is particularly concerning given the IOC’s celebration of Paris 2024 as the first ‘Gender Equal Olympics,'” the groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the World Players Association, wrote in a joint letter to the IOC.
“Women and girls in France who wear the hijab have been and are being prevented from playing multiple sports, including football, basketball, judo, boxing, volleyball and badminton — even at youth and amateur levels. The hijab bans in sports have resulted in many Muslim athletes being discriminated against, invisibilized, excluded and humiliated, causing trauma and social isolation – some have left or are considering leaving the country to seek playing opportunities elsewhere,” the letter stated.
Days before the start of the 2024 Olympic Games, French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla revealed on social media that she would be barred from participating in the opening ceremony due to her hijab. French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra later announced that Sylla would be permitted to take part by covering her hair in a non-religious manner, according to ABC News. However, many see this solution as a superficial fix to a deeper issue.
Afghanistan
+ No Afghan women were included in the UN Conference in Doha at the request of the Taliban
On June 30, UN leaders met for their third conference in Doha, with the Taliban in attendance for the first time. In order for them to be present, the Taliban demanded that no Afghan women be allowed in the conference.
Abiding by the Taliban’s requests, there were no women in Doha III. Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said “the [meeting] is an initial engagement aimed at initiating a step-by-step process with the goal of seeing the Taliban “at peace with itself and its neighbors and adhering to international law,” the U.N. Charter, and human rights,” according to the Associated Press.
Leaders around the world voiced their protest against the UN’s decision in an open letter that urges for Afghan Women’s participation and inclusion in any discussions about Afghanistan’s future.
“The issue of inclusive governance, women’s rights, human rights writ large, will be a part of every single session,” DiCarlo told the AP. “This is important, and we will hear it again and again, I’m sure from quite a number of us.”
This conference comes after a new report by Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, concluding that the intolerance and discrimination against women and girls could be considered gender apartheid.
Iran
+ Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian wins run-off election
On July 30, President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn into office as Iran’s ninth president. During his speech, he guaranteed that he would remove the economic sanctions imposed by the west and will answer to the electorate’s request for change.
President Pezeshkian was the sole candidate to openly oppose the hijab enforcement laws which threaten women’s safety and participation in public life. Still, reports indicated that the women who did not comply with the hijab dress codes were prevented from voting in the election. Many of President Pezeshkian’s supporters hope that he will push for women’s rights.
Calling for “cooperation, empathy and trust,” President Pezeshkian did not pledge any extreme modification to Iran’s Shiite theocracy but promised to improve relations with the west, resulting in reduced inflation and economic growth for Iran.
“I will not stop trying to remove the oppressive sanctions,” President Pezeshkian said. “I am optimistic about the future.”
Somalia
+ Bilan Media wins Global Freedom of Expression Award
Somalia’s only all-women media team won the 2024 One World Media Press Freedom Award, becoming the first Somali news team to be presented with this award. The award honors exceptional journalism by independent media organizations based in the Global South.
Bilan won for “their courage in challenging taboos and bringing new stories to light in one of the most dangerous palaces to be a journalist.”
“We are delighted to have our work recognized in this way,” Bilan’s Chief Editor, Hinda Abdi Mohamud, told UNDP. “We hope that having an all-women news team winning an award like this will change attitudes in Somalia and open up more opportunities for women in the media and professional jobs.”
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