EU project will help sports institutions become more gender equal

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Sport is often praised for empowering young people and promoting inclusivity and team spirit. However, behind the façade, sporting environments can also be places where sexual harassment and abuse occur, and where toxic masculinity and a culture of violence thrive. 

Previous studies have shown that European sport institutions often fail to protect potential victims and provide a level playing field for different groups, including those based on age, disability, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, nationality, race, and sexual orientation. Moreover, in Central and Eastern Europe, the area on which the SUPPORTER project focuses, the situation is worse than in the rest of Europe. 

The aim of SUPPORTER is to contribute to the development of gender equality in eight sport institutions in Central and Eastern Europe. Through a network of partner institutions, these eight institutions will receive expert support while designing and implementing intersectional and inclusive Gender Equality Plans.

– By developing innovative and tailored gender equality plans that tackle gender-based violence from an intersectional perspective, we hope to contribute to making sports institutions safer, inclusive, and more attractive, says Sofia Strid, who leads the research in SUPPORTER.

Researchers at UGOT: Sofia Strid at the Department of Sociology and Work Science, Karin Grahn and Suzanne Lundvall at the Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science and Angelica Simonsson at the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research.